The Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest
by Riddick writer
Summary: In Madison, Wisconsin all seems normal... But when the zombie apcalypse hits, people are thrown into desperate situations and forced to work together for survival. Who will live and who will die? Find out! STORY FINISHED! XD
1. Chapter 1

**The Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

HEY GUYS! I'm totally pumped that the Walking Dead has finally returned to television, so pumped that I'm going to officially restart my original story The Walking Dead: Northern Style! New name of course, but it's the same idea. The idea of this story is to allow you guys, (the readers), to submit your own character and see whether or not they survive! Sounds fun right? I know it'll be fun to write! So to submit a character follow this rubric below, I used my main character as an example:

**Name: _Elizabeth Siring_ **

**Age: _38_**

**Occupation: _News Reporter_**

**Family: _Mother (Age: 74), Father (Age: 78), Brother (Age: 27), No children or husband, _**

**Appearance (Physical only, no clothing, tattoos go here): _Brown shoulder length hair, blue eyes, average height, Soccer mom appearance some might say, _**

**Personality: _Polite, Kind, Fair, Honest, Loyal,_ **

**Biggest strength (Can be physical, talents, personality): _Elizabeth is not afraid to voice her opinions and will usually try to pick the most humane and paragon decision possible. _**

**Biggest Weakness (Same as biggest strength): _Elizabeth is incapable of making difficult decisions. For example, she would be unable to kill someone if they were infected and she knew them. _**

**Hometown: _Madison, Wisconsin_**

**Brief Bio: _Elizabeth was born in Madison and never left; she lived in a small family of four and got great grades in school. Instead of leaving for a bigger and better college she chose to stay and pursue a job in journalism, in which she succeeded. Her life is described as being perfect other than the fact she has not made a family of her own. _**

So basically the story is starting in Madison no matter where your character came from and my biggest peeve about doing this is worrying that all the characters are going to be too similar. Try to read other submitters characters before submitting your own. It's easier to write a plot when the characters aren't all clones! I'm accepting the first ten characters I get! So hurry and submit, PM me or leave you're character in the reviews!


	2. Outbreak

**Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

_**Riddick Writer: **I do not own any Walking Dead info, characters, terms, etc. _

_First chapter guys, enjoy! _

_Chapter 1: Outbreak_

Laughing echoed the staff room as Elizabeth began packing away her things. "Hey Elizabeth, you should come hear the weather man's joke it's hilarious!" bellowed one of her fellow reporters. Smiling Elizabeth brushed her brown hair out of her face and turned to glance at the three men laughing at the break table. It was obvious they were staring at her for more than just the fact that they were talking to her.

"I'd love to stay and chat but I've got things to do," she said making one of the reporters frown and stand up. When she looked away to place her car keys in her purse he stopped a foot away from her. Sighing she spun around on her heel, "Yes Ronald?"

The chubby reporter smiled and scratching his head started to speak, his nervousness shining like the sun. "I-I was wondering if you wanted to go for dinner sometime Elizabeth? I mean, not tonight but you know, maybe, Friday night, or our next night off work?"

Despite the fact that she wasn't interested in Ronald, Elizabeth Siring was too nice and polite to say no. Plus she was going on thirty nine years old and was still unmarried. So she traded away her honesty for politeness, "I'd be happy to go with you Friday night Ronald," she said.

The reporter's face lit up like a light bulb as he grinned ear to ear. "Oh great, I'll get reservations set up and everything! Do you have a place you prefer?"

Elizabeth slung her purse over her shoulder, "Anywhere will be fine Ronald." Ronald's grin grew bigger than Elizabeth thought possible.

"Alright I'm looking forward to it Elizabeth," he called after her enthusiastically. Elizabeth waved without looking, she didn't want him to see her face of discontent but as soon as she was in the hall on the opposite side of the wall she heard him bragging to the others.

"Did you guys see that? Bang, on a date with her, I'm a lady killer!" Elizabeth rolled her blue eyes cynically already in disbelief that she had said yes to the forty year old virgin…

Walking outside into the cool fall breeze, she wasted no time clip clopping across the parking lot to her car. Inside she found her change of clothes and sat down in her car. She changed into jeans, hoodie, and tennis shoes. She then took the slip of paper from her purse and read the address out loud to herself, "115 West Doty Street."

Nodding and still clutching the piece of paper, she backed out of the parking space and drove out into the night. It was nearing eight o'clock and visiting times only lasted until nine, so she had to hurry. But Elizabeth had lived in Madison, Wisconsin her whole life, so she knew some shortcuts.

In a matter of minutes she had made it across the busiest part of the city, a smile plastered on her face as she parked alongside the street behind a squad car. Looking out her window at the Dane County Sheriff's office her eyes moved to the left to spot a building labeled 115, the Building of Public Safety. Or as most people would call it, jail.

Elizabeth opened the door of her vehicle and began to get out when she froze. Slowly she sat back down in the car frowning as she took out her cell phone and stared at it. Without even trying her fingers dialed in the number and soon the phone was against her ear as headlights of another vehicle passed on West Doty Street.

Finally an older man's voice responded, "Hello?" it asked. "Who is this?"

Elizabeth smirked, "You're daughter father, how are you?" There was a shout in the background, probably him telling her mother that she was on the phone.

"I'm wonderful sweetheart, I managed to catch you're report on that car accident last night. I'm glad no one got hurt, people don't know how to drive nowadays," Elizabeth chuckled at this. Her dad always had the effect on her, making her laugh. But the conversation she called for certainly wasn't going to please him…

"Yeah I know it's terrible, anyways, I called to tell you I'm visiting Keith," her voice went dull on the second part of the sentence. On the other line of the phone she could hear nothing but her father's raspy breaths. Elizabeth stared out the window, frowning unhappily as she ran a hand through her hair. "Look he's my brother and if you're now willing to come and vis-," he cut her off rudely.

"HE IS NOT MY SON! Don't you ever say that Elizabeth, he is a criminal, and nothing more! Do you think we changed out last name for no reason!" Elizabeth felt her eyes get watery, she desperately wanted to hang up but instead she listened to the lecture. "Elizabeth, Keith had his chance, and you had yours. There's a difference between you two, you succeeded, he didn't, do you understand?"

Elizabeth sighed, "Yes father, I understand." She didn't even notice the county deputy moving towards her vehicle from the office.

"Good, now do the world a favor and leave that forsaken jail… Elizabeth, I love you." Elizabeth ran her hand through her hair again, lost for words at the moment. Finally she said the words she was looking for.

"I love you too dad." There was then a sudden beep as she hung up and put the phone into her jean pocket. She then stared straight ahead taking a deep breath just as the hairy face appeared in her window scaring her.

The deputy signaled her to roll down her window and the news reporter obeyed. "Good evening ma'am, any particular reason you've been sitting here in this car for five minutes outside the county jail?"

Elizabeth glanced at the Building of Public safety then back to the deputy shaking her head. "No, sorry, I just had to make a phone call; I'll be on my way." The deputy smiled and moved away from the car.

"Have a nice night," he called as she sped away. As soon as she rounded the first turn tears began trickling down her face. _She had failed Keith again… _

**XVX**

The woman on the television set's mouth opened and closed again and again. Sitting on the sofa, a shaggy auburn haired teen sat watching. His brown eyes watched the screen unmoving, despite the fact that there was no sound audible to him. Suddenly he burst out laughing, it was an abnormal sounding laugh but his dad entered the room smiling.

The teen looked at him pointing at the screen excitedly as he nodded. "Why did you do that!" one of the people on the television set screamed. The channel was Comedy Central, so that explained why Luke was laughing, someone had done something funny.

His dad turned his attention back to Luke who was contently watching again. "Hey Luke," he said, the teen sat ignoring him completely. "Hey Luke," he repeated, still the teen didn't budge. "HEY! Luke," suddenly the teen turned to him smiling, his brown eyes sparking with interest.

"You're stepmother and I are going out, make sure you remember to take you're heart medication, okay?" The sentence was spoken very slowly and Luke had nodded at the end giving him a thumbs up.

Smiling happily his father buttoned up his jacket and turned to see his wife step out of the kitchen in her jacket. "Ready?" She beckoned cheerfully, "Oh wait did you tell Luke to," she caught on when Luke nodded at her and began waving goodbye. She copied his wave and so did Luke's father as they moved to the door and eventually shut it behind them leaving Luke the whole apartment to himself.

The teen smiled warmly and turned his attention back to the television. His eyes instantly locking with the mouth of the man speaking, and again he laughed. Suddenly a female scream broke the peaceful hum of the television, but Luke sat staring like a statue. Again the scream repeated, and it wasn't coming from the television but outside of the apartment down the hall.

Instead of a normal person, who would try to figure out what the commotion was, Luke stood and walked into the kitchen. He reached into the kitchen cabinet and took out an orange plastic vile of white tablets. He didn't even notice the door slam shut as his parents ran into the kitchen yelling, "Luke, Luke come with me now!"

His dad ran into the kitchen grabbing Luke's arm fiercely, already pulling him out of the kitchen past his stepmother who was soaked with tears. Luke caught of glimpse of scarlet on her arm as he passed her, then looking at the door he watched it shake. "LUKE, COME ON IN HERE!"

Yanking him in closet Luke protested, mumbling, "Nooo, I don't waantt to go en there!" his voice came out strange sounding but his dad understood him perfectly. Pulling him inside the closet he spun his son to face him.

"I don'tt wantt toooo," Luke protested again trying to leave but his dad pulled him back in making him drop the vile of pills in the living room. Luke knew something was wrong and he wanted to help.

"Luke, listen to me, okay? Stay in here, don't leave okay?" He shook his son, "Okay?" Finally Luke nodded unhappily and sat down against the wall realizing something was definitely wrong. His father then slide the closet door shut and ran into the kitchen where his wife was frantically running her bloody hand under the sink huffing in pain.

When he looked over her shoulder he saw the water running was nothing but red, then the door shook again. "I think he's trying to break in!" his wife screamed instantly making him run to the door just as it collapsed open falling directly on his leg.

"OW! Son of a bitch what do you want!" He yelled in pain as he attempted to move the door off of his leg. He quickly learned it was impossible however when the man entered the room dragging his bony leg across onto the downed door. His eyes were a sickly dark red, his hair matted, and his clothes in literally rags.

"What do you wa-," he attempted to scream again but was cut off when the man leapt on top of him, biting him on the shoulder. "OH MY GOD, GET OFF ME!" His yells were futile as his wife ran in smacking the intruder to the ground with a frying pan. She then pulled her badly bleeding husband out from under the door and into the kitchen sitting up against the counter.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay, you're bleeding," she sobbed with worry. Her husband stared at her drowsily and watched the man rise behind her.

"He's… He's… behind you!" He barely had the chance to scream it before the intruder grabbed his wife by the breasts and sunk his teeth into her neck making her let out a hoarse yelp. He was then forced to watch as it continuously bit her, again and again, blood leaking from every new wound until finally her body lay unmoving and the intruder began stumbling towards him again.

"No! NO! Stay away! Please, why are you doing this! I can help you wait no stop!" His yells of protest and agony were never heard by Luke who simply sat staring at the closet. Rocking back and forth the teenager was bored, and knowing something was wrong he wanted to leave, but he had promised he would stay. _And so for that reason he sat in the closet, unable to hear his father's dying screams two rooms over… _

**XVX**

"I just don't understand Livvy, Mr. Knight said you could still get that grade up, so why didn't you turn in those assignments?" Livvy sat down in the seat next to her mother in the silver beetle. The car was ironically small just like the height of both the mother and daughter inside.

"I already told you mom, Mr. Knight is being a total prick about it! He gave me additional assignments that nobody else had to do!" Her mother tsked as Livvy buckled her seat belt and the small beetle took off down the street which was normally busy at this time of night.

"Well I just don't get it Livvy, the twins grades are fine yet you can't seem to keep a steady grade of A's and B's," her mother lectured on as they turned onto Main Street. Livvy just turned and watched the capitol of Wisconsin pass by, its white pillars and architecture were much more interesting that her mother's lecture. "Livvy are you even listening to me?"

Livvy turned back to her, "Eh kind of," she replied making her mother groan in annoyance.

"Fine, have it you're way. How was you're hunter safety class this evening?" Livvy smirked, school wasn't a favorite topic of her or any teen for that matter, but shooting and hunting with her dad was something she enjoyed. She was very unlike her mother…

"It was okay, tonight we just learned about gun safety. Tomorrow night I think were talking about using lever actions and pump actions though so that should be fun," she paused, "even though I already know how to use them." Her mother smiled at that and glanced at her daughter.

She was cute with her long dark red hair and chocolaty brown eyes, yet she didn't have to be told that. It was the beginning of her senior year in high school and already her mother had seen her with all sorts of guys. Livvy didn't even have to try and flirt, they just came to her.

The street lights and buildings began to disperse as they drove further and further out of the city of Madison. It was nearing ten o'clock and the night was a cloudy one with no sign of the moon. Surprisingly there were few people on the sidewalks and traffic was soft, which for Madison was odd. But Livvy's mom was happy with it as she turned out of the city onto one of the roads leading to the highway.

There house was out in the country in between the highway and city, this is because the Townsend family owns an acre of land out here. The acre that Livvy's dad uses for hunting.

The headlights of the small beetle reflected off the speed limit sign as the mother and daughter rounded the big curve on the road. Livvy watched with her hand on her head, bored and tired. Suddenly her eyes widened in alarm at the figure on the road, "MOM STOP!"

It was far too late as the beetle collided with the figure despite the fact that her mother slammed on the brakes. The car hit the person at full force and came to an abrupt stop with the person laying sprawled out on the concrete about ten feet away.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" her mom whispered getting out of the car. Livvy followed her mom out of the car towards the deceased woman lying in the road. She was in nothing but a night gown with her dark hair plastered across her pale face and her arms covered in blood.

Livvy stared in revolt but approached casually closer than her mother who stood weeping. "Is she, d-dead Livvy?" Livvy gently shook her, adrenaline pumping through her veins at the sheer sight of blood. When she looked back at her mouth her eyes widened at the sight of a man hobbling towards them.

"Mom behind you!" she managed to screamed seconds too late. The man wrapped around her mom like a tree and clamped his bloody jaws tightly on her neck. "Get off her you sick bastard!" Livvy got up and began running to her mom when she heard a hiss and felt a tugging on her ankle. Looking down she realized the woman was alive, her eyes a putrid red as she crawled closer towards her, one hand latched to her ankle.

Disgusted Livvy quickly kicked the woman away and turned back to see her mother screaming on her knees as the man continued biting her. Livvy reacted without thinking, running to the man and fiercely kicking him with her heel right in the temple of his bald head, causing him to flop against the hood of the car.

"Mom come on! Come on! Get up, we have to get to the house hurry!" she exclaimed as she pulled her mom to her feet and began sprinting. Her mom followed drowsily the scarlet liquid flowing out of her neck consistently as they ran off the road and into the woods.

Thick pine trees loomed around them and Livvy could hear there attackers pursuing them as leaves and sticks cracked behind them. "Mom hurry!" she repeated just as the wooden house they called home came into view. Oddly all the lights were off and her dad's pickup wasn't in the driveway.

Already worried Livvy sped up as fast as her short legs would carry her, now they were moving uphill towards the house. She didn't dare look back and instead squeezed her mom's hand tighter until finally, she felt her mother's grip loosen and she heard her rasp. Instantly stopping, Livvy spun around to see her mother fall to the ground, her eyes staring into nothingness. Livvy instantly felt herself begin to cry, she reached towards her mother and accidentally stumbled forward kicking her mother's corpse down the slope to her chasers who were menacingly climbing the hill.

The corpse of her mother tripped both however giving Livvy the chance to turn and run into her house screaming. Once inside she took out her cell phone and dialed _911, _and ran up the stairs to her parent's bedroom. "Oh my god, where is it!" she panicked as she rummaged in a chest full of her dad's clothes. Then she heard the beep of someone answering the phone, "Hello this Sergeant Hawkins speaking, what is your emergency?"

Instantly Livvy slumped to the ground sobbing, "These, these two people attacked me and my mom, and they killed my mom, and now they're coming a-after m-e!" There was a crackle of static and Livvy literally felt her heart stop. Then she could hear the Sergeant's voice faintly, as if he wasn't on the phone, "Excuse me sir, let go off the-… what the hell!"

Right away Livvy flung the phone aside and slid under her dad's bed instantly finding what she was looking for. Coming out from underneath the bed in her hand she held one of her father's colts, checking to make sure it was loaded she exited the bedroom. Tears still trickled down her face as she got to the stairs only to stop dead at the sight of the two attackers crawling up the steps on all fours.

Both were bloodier than before with large splats of blood smeared on their chests and jaws. Even their hands were soaked with blood and finally Livvy realized they weren't human. Lifting the handgun she took aim and inhaled deeply, and then squeezing the trigger, she shot the male zombie directly in the head. It stopped to examine the bloody hole in its forehead and fell backwards down the stairs. The female screeched at the sound of the gunshot and attempting to hurtle the falling male, fell face first. Livvy then wasting no time shot two bullets into its back and then slowly began moving down the stairs to its motionless body.

Once she was close enough, she moved the pistol the back of the zombie's head, and pulled the trigger splattering blood on the utter disgust and grief she then kicked both bloody corpses down the wooden stairs staining them with blood. Once at the bottom of the stairs, blood oozed from all the wounds on the bodies and formed a puddle on the tile.

Sniveling she moved her dark hair out of her face and continued down the stairs until she was a mere foot away from the lifeless corpses. Satisfied that they were dead she began calling, "DAD! DAD!" When she didn't get a response she simply wept, like a little girl. That's when the front door creaked open and her mother stuck her head through. Immediately Livvy spotted her and smiling wiped the tears from her face.

"Mom, you're okay, oh my god I thought you wer-," she stopped mid-sentence as her mother stepped into the house staring at her with sickly red eyes. Her short body covered in bloody bite marks, her clothes in tatters, it was clear that she was one of them…

"Mom?" Livvy's tears were returned as she fell to her knees on the tile. "Mom, please don't make me shoot you!" The desperation and disbelief in her voice was highly audible but she could tell by looking at the corpses next to her what was going on, and instead lifted the gun. In response her mother opened her mouth to let out a hiss of anger, the tension was maxed out between the two humans.

Suddenly her mother lurched towards running with arms outstretched. _"Forgive me mother," Livvy whispered seconds before squeezing the trigger. _

_**Riddick Writer: **Damn! What a first chapter, I had a blast writing it! The submissions are just awesome guys and I can't wait to update. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it! In our next chapter I introduce more characters, the apocalypse goes full scale, and of course, they'll be some good ol' fashion gore! :D Oh yeah, reviews are greatly appreciated! :D _


	3. Hell Breaks Loose

**Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: Had fun but a difficult time with this chapter because I didn't know what OC's to include and how to make the plot interesting. But I finally managed, sorry for the long update, and now hopefully things will take off from here! Enjoy the chapter! **

_Chapter 2: Hell Breaks Loose_

The glass shattered instantly letting in the morning light as several pairs of pale, bloody arms reached in attempting to grab hold of the nineteen year old sitting against the door. Gasping for breath Jon Downey forced himself to look up only to have the stench of blood invade his nostrils. That's when he noticed the mutilated corpse of what appeared to be a little girl propped up against the door next to him.

Instantly he stood and bolted forward just as the door caved in along with a pack of zombies. "Fuck me, fuck me, oh my god, fuck me!" he was chanting as he slid on the kitchen tile straight into the hallway where he stumbled onto the stairs. Not even thinking he continued crawling up them, the zombies' screeches were close behind.

Jon quickly regretted this decision however, because he didn't know where he was going…

Upon reaching the second floor which was just a hallway, he ran straight into what appeared to be the master bedroom and slammed the door. He then slapped his body against the door and began huffing in air again just as the leader of the pack ran into the door moaning. "Shut up!" Jon yelled rhetorically, his Irish accent shining through. There was no way the zombies were going to stop groaning this close to living flesh…

Jon sighed and scanned the room with his green eyes for something. Anything really, an escape route, a weapon, well there was the window. But surely a fall from this height would disable him and then he'd be a sitting feast for the screeching monsters outside the door. Then again, maybe he could get on the roof by going out that window…

"Oh for the love of Ireland what I'd give to be home," he muttered seconds before standing and sprinting to the window. Immediately the door flung open and the first zombie, a bloodied female ran in seizing his arm. "Get off!" he yelled while trying to open the window. Suddenly a second zombie got a hold of his shirt and the female was preparing to bite him.

Finally the window slid open actually hitting the female in the head and knocking her to the floor. Jon then turned and threw his best punch at the other zombie distracting it so he could flop out the window onto what he hoped was the roof, to his relief, he felt solid roofing beneath him.

This didn't change the fact that he was slipping however, his face of calmness quickly turned to one of fright as a rather fat zombie reached out the window towards him. Jon stared into the red eyes of the zombie then to the roof shingles which he was rapidly approaching, it was one or the other!

Adjusting himself as he slid he managed to grab the wrist of the fat zombie which held him in place with ease and his bulk prevented the other zombies from climbing out the window. Jon had definitely made the best choice or at least he thought… 

Somehow the fat zombie was actually dragging him back up the roof to the window. His putrid red eyes seemed to bulge with hunger the closer Jon got until finally, they're was a loud _'bang', _and one exploded spraying Jon's face with blood. The zombie flopped forward hanging over the window instantly releasing Jon who began sliding once more all the way over the shingles where he managed to grab hold just barely with his hands.

The blood stinging his eyes made it difficult to see but he could tell it was significant drop to the front yard. He also managed to spot his shooter/savior, a gray haired man standing in the bed of his red pick up truck holding a rifle. "JUMP!" he heard the man yell, instantly trying to use his pilot skills, Jon let go and did his best to land on his feet and roll.

Instead he sort of landed straight on his chest, nearly breaking his wrists, and knocking the wind right out of him. All the adrenaline in his body quickly died away as he looked up light headed at the man who was still standing in his truck waving a buff arm frantically. For some reason Jon couldn't understand him… "Ru… n… th… be… you!" Suddenly he made sense of the words, bolting upright he ran as fast as he could just as a zombie tackled him by the ankles.

"Shit, get it off me," Jon screamed seconds before a bloody hole went straight through the zombie. Jon desperately began crawling away from the others and watched as another bullet pelted one in the chest dropping it. "Would you get in the damn truck already!" the man's voice was hoarse but commanding, and Jon didn't want to disobey it.

Jon watched him shoot again, the rifle's recoiling not even making him budge as Jon climbed in the passenger side. "Drive!" he yelled just as he as crouched down still focusing on the last two zombies. Grunting at the pain in the chest, Jon hopped over the gears and sat down in the driver's seat instantly stepping on the gas sending the truck speeding off and making his savior nearly fall over. "What the hell, you could have given me a heads up," Jon heard him yell over the truck's engine. John just glanced in the rear view mirror and kept driving; _there was no way he was sitting around in a residential neighborhood full of the undead…_

**XVX**

There was an eerie silence as Katrina Rosenberg moved down the once lively street. Now every where she turned her glasses there were uninhabited things like cars and buildings. It was as every breathing thing in the world had seized to exist… then the familiar wailing reminded her of the bundle of blankets in her arms.

Katrina immediately stopped to look at her baby brother Jake, whose mouth was emitting a high pitched cry. His pudgy cheeks were red with cold and his eyes were sealed shut. All his normal facial attributes, just like when he was in his cozy cradle back home.

But now things were different. Katrina had promised to protect the infant and she wasn't going to fail her parents dying wishes. She and Jake had already traveled nearly two hours from their house since last night, and now the dull gray morning sky made things even more depressing for the sixteen year old.

With the dawn came the realization that everyone she once knew was most likely dead. And that those horror films about zombies weren't made up, in fact, they were pretty accurate. And so, here Katrina Rosenberg was, standing at the corner of Frederick Street trying to decide where to go.

Suddenly Jake's cry increased in noise and Katrina heard a door open. She instantly spun around making her long black ponytail slap her face.

Stumbling towards her from the pawn shop was a male zombie with more bite marks then she could count. Katrina instantly held up a finger to Jake, "Shhhh, don't cry its going to be okay," she told him. The teen then wasted no time breaking into a jog across the intersection, the zombie quickly falling behind.

Jake's cries didn't stop however, and because of this, more and more of the living dead began to emerge from alleys and buildings. Soon it wasn't just the one chasing her, but several, all with sickly red eyes and reeking with blood.

"Jake you have to stop crying!" she exclaimed just as she rounded a corner nearly falling right into a zombie devouring the corpse of a young boy. Katrina shrieked and fell down on the sidewalk, nearly dropping wailing Jake. The zombie looked at her, his face covered in the blood and flesh of the child.

Katrina instantly began to panic. She knew Jake's crying was attracting them all but how could she make him stop! Without thinking the teenager got back on her feet and sprinted back across the intersection, choosing the street with the least zombies to run down.

Soon she couldn't even hear Jake's crying, just the vicious hisses and moans of the horde surrounding her. _Was this it? Is there where she was going to die and fail her parents? _

She felt tears begin to weld up beneath her glasses as she fell to her knees. Begging for the first bite to be fatal, she began to weep along with little Jake who was shaking with cold.

Suddenly she heard it and opening her eyes she confirmed what her ears were telling her. Speeding towards her was a white van with a satellite dish on top, and then she recognized the vehicle as a _Madison News Channel 7_ vehicle.

Realizing she was sitting in the middle of the street, Katrina instantly tightened her grip on Jake and ran off to the sidewalk just as the van sped by literally batting the zombies aside in sprays of gore. It came to a skidding halt at the intersection then began backing up, running over some of the already killed zombies. Katrina just watched in amazement, someone was actually saving her? Maybe all the zombie films weren't so accurate after all she was beginning to think just as a cold hand gripped her arm making her nearly drop Jake.

Screaming she spun around to see a female zombie seize other arm, her red eyes were cross eyed and her eye brow was missing but Katrina recognized her. It was one of her teachers from the school, but right now that didn't matter as she fiercely kicked it giving her a second to turn and run towards the van that had stopped a few feet down the street.

She saw the face of a blue eyed woman with shoulder length brown hair stick her face out of the window, "Get in, hurry!" Obeying she ran around the back of the vehicle just as a rather chubby man hopped out with a baseball bat passing her.

"Go I'll hold them off," he yelled indicating the four zombies that had nearly gotten Katrina. Katrina hesitated then climbed into the passenger seat next to the woman who was frantically screaming at the man.

"Ronald! Get back in! Ronald please we have to go!" But the forty year old wasn't listening as he swung nearly taking the first zombie's head off. "Ronald please!"

Katrina watched biting her lip, little Jake still wailing in her arms. She noticed the other pack of zombies crossing the street behind Ronald and tapped the woman on the shoulder who turned quickly. "RONALD GET IN PLEASE!" her scream was futile however for just as he turned around the pack of zombies were all over him.

The first two had team tackled him swatting his bat away and leaving him defenseless. Katrina watched the woman unbuckle her seat belt. She couldn't do anything to help but get killed, so Katrina reached across and put her hand on the door. The woman immediately turned her blue eyes on her and Katrina recognized the news reporter Elizabeth Siring instantly.

"We have to help him," she protested loudly trying to open the door as his cries were beginning to be heard. Katrina simply shook her head, "There's nothing we can do! Were unarmed, the best thing we can do his get out of here!" That was the loudest Katrina had ever screamed. But if that was what she had to do to save a life she'd be more than happy.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in absolute horror before darting to the rear view mirror to watch one zombie rip Ronald's chest open. Gulping Elizabeth did want she had to and leaned out the window to stare at her fellow news reporter one last time. "I'm so sorry," she whispered in agony. _Pulling her head back in the vehicle she then stepped on the gas, driving away from huddle of zombies that were consuming Ronald's unmoving body… _

**Riddick Writer: Fun Chapter! We have our first interactions with fellow survivors, some rescues, a mauling, zombies, and gore! So much to fun to write but I don't know about most people but I get excited when I write action, so sorry for any mistakes! **

**Next chapter were going to get into more of the drama side of the Walking Dead and introduce more OC's! So keep reading and remember who loves reviews? **

**THIS GUY! :P **


	4. Pairs

**Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: Okay last chapter was a breeze to write compared to this one. I'm not the best at drama so bare with me but I tried! Enjoy the chapter! **

_Chapter 3: Pairs _

It was now noon as both the red pick up truck and news van came to a stop on opposite sides of Lake Monona. Only neither of them knew each other were across the lake for it was much too large to simply gaze across and spot a vehicle. Not even someone like Elizabeth Siring, who had lived in Madison all her life could guess that Jon and the man were driving down Baskerville Ave.

"Where are we?" Katrina wondered out loud as the van finally came to a halt on a dirt road surrounded by forest and brush. Katrina remembered turning off Olin Turville Street onto the dirt road, but from there she was clueless. She had never been in southern Madison before, but by the expression on Elizabeth's face, it was obvious she knew where they were.

She made a loud exhausting sigh and turned to Katrina who stared at her through her glasses with wide blue eyes. Elizabeth's eyes dashed to Jake in Katrina's arms, "This is Olin-Turville Park, my family and I used to come here a lot when I was little," she explained sadly.

Katrina regretted asking instantly. The teen hadn't meant to upset the news reporter. Suddenly she realized she could change the topic by saying she knew who the reporter was.

"You're the news reporter from channel 7, right?" It didn't sound stupid in her head but Katrina felt instantly stupid when she remembered they were sitting in a News Channel 7 vehicle. Despite this obvious detail, Elizabeth turned back to her smiling anyways.

"I was," she said hazily before looking back down at Katrina's lap where the bundle of blankets sat, "He's cute." Katrina glanced down at Jake then smiled at her, seconds before the infant began wailing once again.

Instantly Elizabeth took the infant from Katrina who stared in astonishment as she began rocking Jake. "No need to cry little one, you're big sister and I will keep you safe."

Katrina continued to watch until thirty eight year old woman soothed the bundle of life to sleep and calmly handed him back to Katrina. "Thanks, my parents didn't really have much time to show me how to t-take care of…," Katrina broke into tears.

Without realizing it she had froze, her eyes scrunched up as images of her parents being mauled flashed in her mind. That was just last night that it happened…

_"Katrina take Jake!" Her mom fell to the floor seconds after the bundle of blankets was in the startled teen's arms. The zombie then proceeded to clamp down on her arm as her mother screamed, "Protect Jake at all costs, please!" _

The agonizing flashback suddenly made tears streak down her cheeks. Elizabeth watched with pity and in an instant wrapped her arm around the teen's neck. "I don't know you're family, but I'm sure they were just as important to you as mine. Truth be told, I wasn't a big fan of my dad and his rules, but now more than ever, I love him…"

Elizabeth's blue eyes calmly swept down to Jake who was completely unaware of his sister's shaking and tears. "It'll be alright, I promise," she said pulling the teen's head against her shoulder.

Suddenly Katrina regained her composure and taking off her glasses wiped away the tears. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to break down like that. I-," but she stopped when she saw that the news reporter was smiling.

"Its fine honey, we've all lost someone." Katrina's mouth curved into a smile, she instantly remembered why she liked watching Elizabeth on television. Her honesty and sincerity was real.

An awkward silence took over the van as both women stared straight ahead at the trees and several asphalt paths breaking away from the dirt road. "Well I guess I should tell you my name. I'm Katrina and this is Jake," Katrina indicated the infant.

Elizabeth's blue eyes twinkled as she gazed down at the sleeping baby smiling warmly, "Katrina and Jake, both are lovely names." Katrina smiled brightly and looked down at Jake.

"Elizabeth is a cool name too." Elizabeth lifted her head and laughed at that before turning back to the teen still smiling.

"Well do you want to go see the lake, stretch our legs? I doubt any of them are here." The reporter suddenly checked her rear view mirrors and looked out the windows as if to make sure.

Katrina stifled a giggle and watched as the news reporter casually opened the door and stepped out of the van shutting the door softly. She then walked about five feet in front of the van and stared down one of the asphalt paths. Immediately she turned signaling Katrina to get out and follow her.

In a matter of seconds both girls were on the path moving away from the dirt road. Katrina felt like she wasn't in a park but a forest with how much foliage surrounded the path. Trash was also evident in the area, lots of it. Katrina noticed this because Elizabeth was picking it up whispering "tsk, tsk" to herself.

Finally Katrina had to ask, "Why are you picking up litter? It's not like its going to matter." Elizabeth continued walking with a face of content as if trying to decide a reason why she was doing it.

Finally a smile cracked her face as she swept her brown hair out of her face with her free hand. "I guess it's just because it's the right thing to do. I mean I know things will never be the same, but… I just can't help it."

Katrina laughed at the comment and Elizabeth broke out doing the same. Katrina then remembered Jake in her arms and instantly put a finger to her lips silencing Elizabeth who still smiled.

The path took a large curve and finally emerged into a large grassy field that stretched all the way to the lake which seemed a good two acres away. Wooden benches and green trash bins were scattered across the field along with trash and oddly enough, clothes.

Katrina stared and took off her glasses to wipe her eyes. Putting them back on her mouth gapped in surprise. "I've seen this place before!" she exclaimed happily. "It's… It's… that park where the festival was held last year! And you did a…," she broke off as Elizabeth stared at gloomily.

"Yep, I did a report on it," Elizabeth finished. Suddenly the realization that there lives were changed forever dawned on both girls_. Ironically a gust of wind picked up the fall leaves and blasted past the girls, as if it was blasting away their pasts… _

**XVX**

Meanwhile… across Lake Monona, Jon was driving the truck at a steady 25 miles per hour nearing the stop sign at the corner of Baskerville Ave. The Irish pilot could clearly see the lake straight ahead as the truck came to a steady stop.

"What are you stopping for?" the man next to him demanded making Jon jump. The man smirked humorously, "You know what, just shut the truck off for a second." Jon hesitantly obeyed turning the key uncertainly and taking it out of the ignition.

"Let's get out and chat for a minute," he then said flinging the door open. Jon watched then gulped as he clumsily got out the driver side and walked around to the front of the truck where the man met him with his rifle.

"First of all, my name is Matt, Matt Hammond, second, don't ever, ever, drive my truck unless I tell you too alright?" Jon was nodding his head like a bobble head, his face one of fear and uncertainty. Matt's voice was hoarse but at the same time harsh and full of command.

Along with his voice, he was stocky. He could probably crush Jon's brown haired head with just his bicep. To make Matt even more intimidating, his short gray hair was cut military style and his facial features were bold. His nose was like a hawks, pointy and somewhat curved as if had been broken before.

"The third rule is I'm ex military, so try any funny business and you'll be on the ground so fast you can't even say ouch." Jon nodded believing this statement fully and then watched as Matt handed him the rifle. "What's your name?"

Jon scratched the stubble of hair on his chin and smiled, "Downey, that's Jon Downey, so uh, call me Jon." Matt smirked and let his dulling blue eyes dart to a tan house as if someone was watching them.

"Tell me Jon, do you know how to shoot a gun?" Jon stared down at the rifle; he was holding it awkwardly, one hand on the stock and the other up on the barrel.

He looked at Matt hopelessly lost, "Sorry Matt, but I'm just a pilot… I was never really taught how to shoot a gun in my flight school." Matt rolled his eyes and snatched the bolt action rifle back from Jon.

"You're Irish too right?" Jon nodded smiling goofily, with his Irish accent who needs orange hair?

"Well if you want to survive this thing, your gonna have to learn. First things first, let's head out to my house, grab all the ammo and guns we can, and then get the hell out of this city." He raised his eyes brows at the Irish teen, "Sound like a plan?"

"Sure," Jon piped, he was just glad the man didn't shoot him or something. Even though Matt seemed pretty cold and by the book, Jon figured it might be smart to stick around with the soldier, especially in the apocalypse.

Climbing back into the red pick up truck, Matt took the wheel and Jon sat shotgun. As soon as Matt started up the truck again and began turning Jon couldn't help but ask. "So why are you here instead of out of the city already? If I remember correct this didn't happen until last night, you could be long gone."

Matt smirked and stepped on the gas speeding up the truck. "Or I was just leaving the bank when the first things appeared so I shot him in the face and camped out in my truck for the night in an alley near Main Street." Jon listened then nodded slowly his green eyes now looking out the window at the lake.

"I suppose that's a good reason not to be out of town already," he said now feeling kind of dumb. Matt glanced at him and chuckled, making Jon confused.

"What's so funny?" Jon demanded making Matt's lips return to the normal line they were usually. His eyes back on the road.

"Eh its nothing," he mumbled waving a hand dismissively. Jon stared at him hard, curiosity now pricking his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it when the truck took a sharp left stopping in front of tall white house.

"This is my place, you watch the truck," he said before climbing out and slamming the door shut. Jon's green eyes widened in shock as he watched Matt jog up the driveway and disappear inside the house. He was now completely alone now staring down a deserted street full of unoccupied but damaged cars.

It was a bit disturbing Jon had to admit. In Dublin, Ireland, his hometown, silence wasn't necessarily popular, there was always something going on. Madison, Wisconsin had been the same way until last night. Now the only noises Jon heard were shrieks and moans, like right now, all he could hear was a loud moaning.

That's when he turned to the window and saw the face of a black male pounding on the glass. His putrid red eyes were locked on Jon and his clothes were in tatters with spots of blood everywhere.

"Oh god no, no, no!" Jon moved from the passenger seat to the driver. The zombie followed by limping around the front of the truck. Jon then repeated his action, moving back to the passenger seat just as the zombie made it to the driver side. "Get out of here!" Jon yelled at it just as it began moving back to his side of the vehicle.

Once it was on the passenger side again, Jon moved back to the driver seat just as the stocky figure of Matt emerged from his house with a camouflage duffle bag. Instantly he plopped the bag down on his lawn and pulled a handgun out of its holster on his hip.

"Hey ugly, does your mother kiss you with those lips!" Jon watched fearfully as the zombie slowly turned revealing a nasty bloody bite bark on the back of its bald head. It then took off at its fastest hobble across the grass towards Matt who calmly raised the black pistol.

The first shot rang out sending a bullet straight through the zombie's chest. The second was barely a centimeter further from the first, but still the zombie pressed on as Jon got out of the truck to watch.

A third shot rang out this time spewing blood from the zombie's head as it collapsed to its knees and then to the lawn, not even two feet from Matt who was laughing. "Tough son of a bitch gotta shoot em in the head I guess!"

Jon shook his head in disbelief and began walking towards him. "Damn, if he would have got you I could break the rule of not driving the truck," Jon joked. Matt smirked and staring across the street spotted a majority of his neighbors coming out of one house moaning their way towards them. All of them were covered in blood, pale skinned, and obviously already dead…

Jon followed his gaze, "Oh boy we better bail!" Matt nodded in agreement and flung the heavy bag around his shoulder and sprinted towards the truck which Jon was already in. Matt tossed the bag full of guns in the back of his truck then sprinted around to the driver side just as his former next door neighbor reached him.

She was in nothing but a nightgown with blood smeared across her face, hardly recognizable. "Sorry Martha but you're fubar!" Matt yelled before punching her hard in the nose.

To his dismay she fell to the cement only to be replaced by another zombie that pinned him against the side of the truck. It had grabbed hold of both his arms preventing him from reaching his gun; making Matt wonder is this it? The end of Drill Sergeant Matt Hammond?

Suddenly the zombie released its grip and stumbled to the ground and Matt heard Jon's voice, "Get in and drive!" Matt didn't waste time and slammed the door just as three more zombies ran into it. Jon must have pushed the one away because the Irish teen was now in the bed of the truck waving frantically for him to go.

_And so, the second verse was the same as the first, Matt stepped on the gas and they escaped a mob of zombies once again… _

**XVX**

Nearly an hour had passed since Elizabeth and Katrina had left the van. They were currently both sitting on a bench barely ten feet from the water, staring out across the lake to the other side.

"So I was thinking this park seems pretty safe, why don't we try and set up some sort of camp here?" Elizabeth turned to Katrina thoughtfully, Jake was still fast asleep but it wouldn't be long before the little tyke woke up and began crying again.

"That's a good idea," she hesitated, "yeah. We can drive back downtown to check for survivors and spend the nights here. But we have to leave the city before winter or we'll get snowed into the city." Katrina smiled brightly at Elizabeth, "Jake's fortunate to have a big sister as smart as you."

"Thanks," Katrina blushed slightly and looked back down at Jake who was beginning to move. Elizabeth frowned at the baby, not only was he probably cold, but how old was he exactly?

Elizabeth spoke her mind, "Katrina… how old is Jake?" Katrina looked up so fast her glasses nearly fell off.

"Oh he's five months… I think." Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully and turned back to Lake Monona. One thing was certain, little Jake wouldn't last long without food, and at five months, he still needed milk… "Why does it matter?"

Elizabeth turned to her and smiled, her usual honesty deserted her as she waved a hand, "Just curious is all. But yeah, I think setting up a camp here and heading back into the city for survivors sounds like a great idea." _Katrina's happy go lucky smile returned and the two girls were completely unaware of the stranger approaching the bench from behind… _

**Riddick Writer: OH CLIFFHANGER! God I hate when authors write those but writing one yourself is kind of fun. Just like writing this chapter, it was fun and I hope you guys liked reading it! Little bit of drama but I still managed to get a little bit of zombies in. **

**Next chapter I'm looking to introduce three more characters/ocs and have some good ol' zombie killing so it should be fun. So if you want you're oc in review people! HAHA JOKING BUT I LOVE REVIEWS KEEP IT UP! :P **


	5. Survivors

**The Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: Hey guys pleasant chapter here! Haha not really… but is any zombie apocalypse chapter pleasant? Enjoy the chapter guys and by the way, did anyone catch my allusion to '_Saving Private Ryan'_ last chapter? **

_Chapter 4: Survivors_

"Just curious is all. But yeah, I think setting up a camp here and heading back into the city for survivors sounds like a great idea." It was seconds after Elizabeth had said that when their intruder spoke loudly.

"Oh yeah that sounds like a great idea! Let's set up a camp here and go to bed and wait to get eaten in the morning!" Both Elizabeth and Katrina stood and spun around to the new voice to find a woman standing there with her hands on her hips.

Elizabeth instantly knew she wasn't local because of how tanned her skin was. She had to be from elsewhere, or go on lots of vacations… one of the two.

"Um, sorry, I was just trying to make a suggestion," Katrina explained calmly. The woman scanned her hazel eyes on both girls and finally let them rest on Jake in Katrina's arms.

Immediately she pointed to him, "How old is he?" Katrina looked down at Jake and glanced at Elizabeth whose eyes were firmly set on the stranger like a statue.

"He's five months, why?" The woman laughed and turned her back to them giving them a better look at her long curly black hair. When she turned around she was finished laughing and simply staring at the girls again. A moment of silence pass between the three females and the gust of wind could be heard.

"So you two are seriously thinking about camping here aren't you?" Elizabeth and Katrina looked at each other, and then back at the stranger.

"We were. So if you don't want to stay feel free to leave," Elizabeth told her in the nicest way she thought possible. The stranger made a grin as she began to pace.

"I could easily survive on my own, but then again there is always strength in numbers." Elizabeth stared at her as she paced while Katrina watched the news reporter in anticipation. Was Elizabeth really considering letting this complete stranger stay with them? "Hm, decisions, decisions, sometimes you love them and sometimes you hate them."

"We'd be more than happy if you chose to stay with us, erm, what's your name?" The girl turned and smiled at Elizabeth.

"Some people call me Mrs. Gibson most just call me Colee," she said with a charm to her voice. Elizabeth smiled at that and watched as she hopped over the bench and sat down. She crossed her legs and smirked, "I guess I'll stick with you guys, for awhile at least."

Based on her sneaking up on them, Katrina was highly surprised to see her and Elizabeth change tones and get along so well so quickly. "Okay, so what's the next step?" Colee's question interrupted Katrina's train of thought and she instantly snapped back into reality watching Elizabeth zip up her gray hoodie.

A fierce fall wind blew behind Elizabeth blowing her brown hair forward as she spoke, "We head into town and find supplies." Colee's eyes sparked with amusement while Katrina's were wide with shock.

"But won't the city be full of them by now?" Elizabeth turned to Katrina smiling weakly. She already had a guess of the teen's thoughts.

"If were to try and find survivors, downtown should be the first place we look. It'll be the most dangerous but also the most likely for survivors." Katrina listened to reason and looked down at Jake with concern.

"Don't worry we'll be fine," Colee said with a dismissive wave. Katrina now looked at her with surprise. Suddenly images of her mother popped in her head and she felt a wave of anger.

"We'll be fine? Were unharmed people against thousands of these…these… zombies! And you're saying we can just waltz into the city and be perfectly safe? What about Jake?" She indicated the bundle of life in her arms making Colee and Elizabeth frown.

Elizabeth moved to Katrina and wrapped a supportive arm around the teen. Colee simply watched with interest, her hazel eyes fixated on Katrina. After seconds of glaring at Colee hostilely, the teen finally turned to Elizabeth who smiled warmly.

"Katrina, if you want to stay here with Jake and just let Colee and I go that would be fine." But as soon as the words left Elizabeth's mouth Katrina was shaking her head so fast her black ponytail was slapping Elizabeth's shoulder. Colee smirked at the sight.

"No, I'll go with you guys. I think I know a few things that might help us when we run into town." Elizabeth's smile grew and Colee perked up on the bench.

"And what exactly do you think you know that will help?" Colee asked. Katrina turned to her with a wry smile.

_"You'll find out," the teenager said deviously, just as another fall wind blasted past the trio sending leaves out over the lake. _

**XVX**

"Okay, now show me how to load it again," Matt said just as he pulled the truck into a gas station parking lot. Next to him Jon was staring at a black glock 17 in his hand. The pistol was given him to by Matt as _'something simple to start with'._

Feeling very proud the Irish teenager quickly slid the pistol's clip out and reloaded clicking a bullet into the chamber. He then turned to Matt who just took the key out of the ignition killing the truck's engine. "Not bad, huh?" he asked.

Matt smirked, "It'll have to do. Now come on, let's grab everything we can from this place." Jon watched Matt step out of the vehicle holding his bolt action rifle firmly in his calloused hands. Jon was unsure why they were calloused, but based on Matt's muscles the Irish teen had a guess.

Scanning the tall buildings of downtown Madison and up and down the deserted streets, Matt got an eerie feeling in his gut. He couldn't help but feel somebody was watching them. Perhaps from the twenty second window of the office building across the street or maybe from the bank on the corner but still, he didn't like it…

"Looks clear… I think," Jon commented as he moved next to Matt who frowned and spun around opening the bed of the truck.

"Climb in there and grab the gun bag," he ordered. Jon wasted no time obeying as he holstered his gun and leapt up into the bed of the truck. In a matter of seconds he had the duffle bag in Matt's hands. "Close quarters here in the city," he smiled a little, "so we get out the big boys."

Jon watched as the former soldier rummaged through the bag and came out holding a pump action shotgun. It was entirely black with a shorter barrel; it was a Remington 870 shotgun…

"Bloody hell! Where did you get that?" Jon exclaimed. Matt chuckled and spun around to look up and down the street again.

"An old friend passed it on to me," he replied as he stared down the street at a particular yellow taxi sitting in the road horizontally. "Jon, check the store, I'll stay here and fill the truck up with gas." Nodding the teen clumsily turned and unholstering his gun moved into the gas station.

Upon opening the door he rung a bell and immediately stumbled forward with fright glaring at the tiny silver bell. "Damn bell," he muttered to himself before continuing down the aisle passing magazines of all sorts. _Sports Illustrated, Hollywood Express_, but it was _International Airports and Planes_ that caught his attention on the end of the last rack. Immediately he stopped and picked up the magazine reading the captions on the front page with his green eyes.

Then his eyes caught the red text at the top of the magazine:

_ Nineteen year old Irish teenager Jon Downey first pilot to graduate from Dublin's flight school and move into the United States as a U.S pilot. Page: 5b_

Jon's mind instantly flashed back to the day of the interview for this magazine. He remembered the event like it was yesterday. His parents smiles, his sister's consistent giggling, even his jealous brother had congratulated him. But the bright thoughts of his family quickly turned to dark ones as he glanced out the window to see Matt standing in the bed of the truck aiming his rifle.

_Was his family still alive even? Better question, was this apocalypse just happening in the U.S, or in the whole world? _Suddenly a loud feminine scream broke the serene silence of the city followed by the crack of gunfire.

Jon dropped the magazine right away and ran back outside to find Matt leaping down off the truck and staring towards the bank with narrowed icy blue eyes. "It came from over there," he told Jon who followed his gaze.

The scream was repeated along with another gunshot. "Whoever she is, she's in trouble," Jon said already beginning to shuffle towards the sound.

Matt watched for a few moments then barked, "Jon get back here!"

Jon stopped dead in tracks and turned back to Matt who was tossing his rifle in the bed of the truck with the shogun and duffle bag. "What? What is it?" Jon ran back to the truck.

"Were leaving get in," Matt ordered already walking to the driver side. Jon stared in disbelief and turned back to the bank. His emotions were rambling around in his mind Right around the corner someone is in danger, and Matt wants to just leave this woman?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Matt this is someone else, another survivor! Shouldn't we be going to safe this woman!" Matt flung the door open and scowled staring at the concrete beneath him. Finally he spoke.

"Nope, now get your ass in here and let's go." Jon again watched in utter disbelief just as two more gun shots echoed from around the bank. Matt was patiently waiting in the driver's seat but he hadn't anticipated Jon's next move.

Spinning on his heel Jon took off at a dead sprint down the street towards the bank. Matt literally kicked the door open and got out, "GOD DAMN IT KID GET BACK HERE!" But Jon ignored the command and continued running. Adrenaline now pumped through his veins as he ran along the sidewalk carefully moving close to the wall of the bank. Finally he came to a stop against the wall breathing heavily. Very slowly he peeked his brown haired head around the corner just in time to catch a glimpse of dark red hair before it passed him.

In confusion he stared after the attractive short girl running back the way he had came. His immediate reaction was to shout but he changed his mind the second two blood soaked zombies came around the corner hobbling after her.

Jon took action right away jogging after them bravely. He aimed down the glock's sights at the back of one zombie but his impatience got the better of him and he shot early missing. Blinking he refocused and fired again, spewing blood from the zombie's upper back as it fell forward onto the concrete.

Now the girl had turned around, her face one of complete horror and she wasn't looking at the other zombie chasing her, but Jon. "LOOK OUT!" she managed to scream before Matt fired a booming rifle shot from the truck bed into the head of a female zombie behind Jon.

Upon spinning around Jon learned he was looking into the red eyes of about twenty flesh craving zombies. Each zombie had bloodied hands, and torn clothes. "Oh for the love of Ireland," Jon yelled before turning to run just as the girl shot the other zombie chasing her dead.

So she could kill! Good! But this didn't matter because Matt was already getting into the truck, and the girl was waiting for Jon not looking. "Wait! Matt stop!" Jon was calling to the red pick up helplessly as it backed out of the parking lot causing the girl to turn around and watch. "Wait!"

The girl began sighing just as Jon passed her seizing her arm and dragging her after him. "Hang on; he's not leaving us I promise!" The girl's eyes flashed with concern before turning to watch the rapidly approaching horde. Their moans and shrieks were getting closer and closer by the second.

To Jon's dismay, Matt stepped on the gas and the truck propelled forward down the street much faster than the teenagers. Before they even knew it, the truck was around the corner nearly three blocks away, and gone. Now all they could hear were the zombie's moans behind them.

"Shit! That bastard!" Jon came to a stop while the girl took aim and launched another bullet from her colt into a zombie's head instantly killing it. She looked at Jon in shock, and then turned to the gas station.

"Have you been in there," she gasped, Jon followed her gaze. His vision was blurred with sweat but he could make out the station just fine.

"Yes, yes I have!" he exclaimed before taking aim and shooting a bullet into a zombie's thigh barely having any effect. The girl was already running towards the gas station past the gas pumps in the parking lot.

"Come on! Hurry!" she called desperately to Jon who shot again this time clipping a zombie's shoulder spewing blood onto the face of another charging zombie. From an aerial view the scene may have been comical as what appeared to be an angry mob got within three feet of a single man who took off sprinting to the gas station.

Shrieks followed Jon as he flew past the girl whom was holding the door open. Once inside, the duo sprinted down the aisle and hurdled over the counter just as the horde began bashing into the glass. "That's not going to hold for long," Jon yelled over the commotion.

The red haired girl ignored him and instead focused on finding another exit or another room. Luckily her brown eyes spotted it on the opposite side of the building. "In there!" she pointed seconds before the first zombie shattered through the glass with a triumphant moan.

Immediately both teens leapt over the counter again and sprinted down the aisle to the door flinging it open and slamming it shut behind them. "Great dead end! Now what?" Jon watched the girl impatiently as he waited for a response.

Suddenly the girl began pushing one of the wooden crates scattered around the room against the door. Jon watched in confusion at first but caught on rather quick. 

"Barricade the door, I'll cover you!" Jon listened to the female as she moved against the wall aiming her pistol directly at the door just as Jon finished moving the first crate against it. He then rushed to find another as the door squeaked open and several sickly pale and bloody hands reached in.

Squeezing the trigger she sent a bullet flying through the hands of two zombies making them disappear with groans of zombie pain. "Can you go any faster?"

Jon couldn't help it as he struggled to lift the second one on top of the first, but finally his adrenaline fueled his body and he slammed it on with ease. Without thinking he then slid against the crates crushing zombie fingers with the heavy metal door. Soon the girl was next to him helping him push the door shut. Finally the shrieks were quieted as the last hand disappeared and the door slammed shut behind the strength of the two teen's backs and the two crates.

Breathing heavily, soaked in sweat, and touching shoulder to shoulder, both teens turned at the same time to look at each other. They made eye contact and broke into smiles. Soon Jon was smirking and rubbing his jaw, "So…," he panted, "What's you're name?"

The girl smiled, "Livvy, what's yours?"

"Jon… and I can tell you right now Livvy… I think were going to be stuck here awhile…" Then as if to proof Jon's statement the door thudded forward followed by a chorus of zombies' moans and shrieks. After a few seconds of dead on pushing they managed to reshut the door and look at each other again.

"Jon."

"Yeah?"

_"I think you might be right." _

**Riddick Writer: WOOHOO! REALLY EXCITING CHAPTER TO WRITE! It had a bit of drama, but mostly zombie chasing and a little zombie killing here and there. **

**Next chapter we focus on two unintroduced oc's and what they did to survive on the night of the outbreak. Hope you guys liked the chapter and twenty five reviews nice work guys! Let's keep it up because they're as fun to read as writing this story is! :P**


	6. Sacrifice

**The Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: Okay guys super sorry for the extremely late update but to be honest I'm actually on vacation in MEXICO! So I actually missed the last episode of the real 'Walking Dead' because we don't get AMC down here! Anyways enjoy the chapter! **

_Chapter 5: Sacrifice_

**The night of the outbreak… **

The Madison central hospital was hectic tonight. Every single brightly lit hallway you attempted to walk down you would have difficulty for nearly every doctor, surgeon, and nurse was on duty. Literally close to a thousand injured people had shown up with their families desperately begging for help.

All of British Doctor Olivia Dawson, including her long auburn hair and freckles, was rushing down the ER wing hallway. "Excuse me ma'am," another group of nurses pushed a patient on a stretcher past her quickly. She caught a glimpse of the man's arm dangling over the side. It was covered in the sick dark red liquid she saw too much in hospitals. _Blood._

When the group of nurses was out of her way fighting down a different hallway, Olivia began forcing her way through once more. She passed concerned face after concerned face, no one seemed very confident anymore. Not the waiting families or the doctors of the hospital.

Walking past the first ER room on her left, Olivia glanced inside just in time to watch the line go flat. A loud beep sounded as the lead surgeon threw his tools down in anger while the other surgeons stared at the floor in silence. Olivia clasped her hands over her mouth and quickly backpedaled away from the room rushing down the hall once more.

"Mommy is daddy going to be okay?" a boy no older than five was tugging on his mother's blouse just as Olivia rounded the corner to find the two sitting on a waiting bench. "Mommy?" The mother was unable to answer as tears leaked down her face and her eyes moved emotionally towards Olivia as she passed by.

Immediately the mother stood up and blocked Olivia's path. "Well? How is he? Please, I have to know?" The woman dwarfed the short doctor who looked up at the mother with wide blue eyes.

She then sighed staring at the mother with sympathetic eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm not sure… do know by chance what room he's in?" The mother let out a squeak of a sob while her son watched utterly clueless to what was going on. "Ma'am I can go check for you if you just give me the room. Do you know what room he is in?" Olivia's voice now had a hard determined edge to it that instantly got the mother to refocus and stare down at the British doctor.

"Room 206 I think they said. But oh, I'm not sure, his name is Bill, Bill Walters." The mother began to weep as she moved back towards the bench. Olivia hesitated and watched sadly before setting off at record breaking speed down the busy hallway. Room 206 would be on the upper floor of the ER wing so she had to get to the stairs at the end of the hallway. This was no easy task.

Olivia had to dodge fellow doctors, stretchers, and sobbing families as she rushed towards the stairs for Mrs. Walters. Finally she managed to make it and began running up the marble staircase. Once on the second floor she was greeted by a friend, head surgeon Doctor Henry Waylon, his normally cropped gray hair was now a complete mess.

"Olivia, thank god you're here. We need you to help with surgery, were all out of surgeons!" he was gasping for breath supporting himself with one arm against the wall. Olivia stopped and looked past him towards an ER room where a woman's screams were emitting from.

"Yeah I can help, but I promised a woman that I would check on her husband first." Henry nodded and squinted down the hallway and pointed with his free arm.

"Okay whenever you're ready to assist," the old surgeon stopped to suck in air, "go help that man first, he was covered in bite marks and badly bleeding." Olivia nodded firmly and moving past Henry began jogging down the hall to the best of her ability. She passed room after room followed by agonizing scream after agonizing scream and of course, the stench of blood.

The scent reeked the hallway worse than Olivia had ever remembered. In fact, there were puddles of blood in the hall that some people were slipping on! It was beyond disgusting…

"Room 203, 204," Olivia was now whispering to herself as she strode past a male doctor clutching his sleeve and yelling.

"The bastard bit me, he fucking bit me!" Olivia didn't stop to look and simply ignored him while another nurse went to the doctor. "I can't believe it, I entered the room and he got up and pounced on me like a maniac!"

Olivia only heard the last sentence before she turned into room 206 towards the end of the hallway to find a team of four surgeons hunched over the rapidly bleeding Bill Walters. Olivia leaned in the doorway and watched, she suddenly was no longer tired, just hoping that all was well.

Her eyes slowly scanned the room, face to face, and finally it was the surgeon handing the lead surgeon a scalpel that she recognized. "Excuse me," she spoke up getting only two of the surgeons to turn around, "Michelle, can I speak to you in the hallway?" The surgeon looked at the lead surgeon who nodded quickly before ordering another surgeon to apply pressure.

Michelle followed Olivia out into the hallway removing her surgeons mask to reveal the purple highlights in her brown hair. Her green eyes lit up as the girls stood face to face, ironically, they were both about 5"3…

"Did you need something Olivia?" Olivia smiled at hearing another British accent as strong as hers. Michelle had just entered the university in London the year before Olivia graduated. So did they know each other before Madison Central Hospital? Ironically, yes.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in London finishing you're last year at the university?" Michelle looked into the room as the surgeon's voices got desperate and more demanding. She turned back to Olivia so fast her white lab coat and hair swung.

"Yes, I just came into Madison two days ago, my twin Caleb is here. The plan was just to visit him but I got a call from the University that I should come and tour Madison Central Hospital. So I did and I ended up helping out with surgery because of all the wounded today, everyone has similar injuries too, bite marks… do you know what's going on?" Olivia shook her head immediately frowning.

"I wish I did. The news channel is talking about cannibalism but that doesn't make sense because unless there are a thousand cannibals in Madison, Wisconsin," she began to chuckle and Michelle smirked.

"Oh yep, theirs definitely a lot of cannibals in Wisconsin," Michelle agreed, her voice beyond the term sarcastic. She turned back to the ER room before Olivia tapped her on the shoulder and she spun back around. "What did you need me for anyways?"

Olivia sighed and indicated Bill who was currently being worked on. "How is he Michelle? I promised his family downstairs that I would find out for them." Michelle could literally imagine Olivia agreeing to find out for the family. She probably would have done the same to some extent.

"He was doing okay… but then we began working on the internal bleeding. It's not going so smoothly," she said gloomily turning back to the surgeons who were giving desperate orders. Then like an alarm, the line went flat and the famous death beep echoed the room. Instantly Olivia and Michelle ran back into the room listening to the lead surgeon's orders to see what they could do.

After several minutes of failed attempts, the lead surgeon finally called the procedure off. To all the surgeons and doctors in the room it was utterly heart breaking. Bill Walters lay spread out on the table, his upper chest cut open with blood seeping out across his white t-shirt and neck region. He was beyond dead and no matter what anyone did there was nothing that would bring Bill Walters back.

The lead surgeon let out a heavy sigh after removing his mask. "We did all we could. Mrs. Howard," Michelle turned to the sound of her last name. "Please, figure out what were doing with bodies then come find us down the hall in room 201, we'll be performing similar surgery." Michelle nodded and in a matter of seconds the team of surgeons disappeared leaving Olivia and Michelle alone with the lifeless body.

Both short women stared at the corpse in disbelief. They were both caring people, and it pained them both to know that this man's family was waiting downstairs to see if he was okay. To Michelle, it was horrible, but Olivia had already felt beyond this pain…

"Well," Michelle hesitated, "I suppose the doctor in charge of body removal won't just show up, I better go find him." Olivia looked at her with sad blue eyes and moving her auburn hair slightly nodded sending Michelle out the door at a jog.

Olivia stared at the body for a few moments longer then feeling a pity, moved to the counter and seized a white sheet to cover him. But when her back was turned, she heard movement…

Figuring someone had entered the room she spun around casually and instead of saying "hello", she screamed in shock. Bill Walters was sitting up as if he were perfectly fine. His bald head slowly turned to her showing his now reddish white eyes. Blood was now pouring out his chest as he slowly got off the table moving towards Olivia.

"Oh my god, Mr. Walters, you need to stay down, by moving you're escalating the bleeding! Please sir, just lay back down, I'll get help right away!" But Bill either wasn't listening or didn't care. He was now taking uncoordinated steps towards Olivia letting out a gurgling groan. 

Olivia couldn't believe it. There was absolutely no possible way Bill Walters could be alive and moving towards her. He had probably lost half of the blood in his body by now, but still he pressed on getting within two feet of Olivia now drooling. "Sir, please just lay back down! I can help you!"

As if responding Bill snatched her arm and began pulling it towards his now open jaws. Olivia shrieked, "Let go of me! Someone help!" Almost as if on queue Michelle reentered holding a fire extinguisher. "Michelle we need to get him back on the tab-," but Olivia stopped mid-sentence when Michelle brought the extinguisher down on Bill's head with a sickening crunch.

Bill spat blood from his mouth and collapsed to the tile with a moan of pain. Michelle stared down at him with hostile green eyes while Olivia marched over to Michelle in anger. "Why the hell did you do that? We can still help this man!" But Michelle shook her head so fast her hair slapped herself across the face.

"No, Olivia this is what's been going on! This is happening to every patient, and I think its why their here in the first place!" Olivia looked puzzled then turned her attention to Bill who was beginning to crawl towards them on his stomach. She gasped in surprise when Michelle repeated the recent action and smashed Bill's skull again with the extinguisher this time causing blood to leak from the man's very bruised and traumatized head.

"My god Michelle you killed him!" But Michelle rolled her eyes obviously irritated.

"Look Olivia, he was already dead and if we don't get out of this hospital we will be too!" Olivia stared down at the motionless Bill then turned back to Michelle.

"Are you saying he would have attacked me if you hadn't shown up?" Michelle nodded a look of relief slowly began to spread across her face now that someone finally agreed with her.

Michelle gulped and calmly shut the door. She then motioned for Olivia to move to the far side of the room, on the opposite side of the operating table from the motionless corpse. "Michelle you still just committed murder. You do know that, right?"

But Michelle made a poker face displaying no emotion as she shook her head. Then her green eyes suddenly went sympathetic as she glanced at the body. "I didn't want to have to kill him believe me."

Olivia sighed, "So that makes it okay for you to just kill people? Michelle this is a hospital, were supposed to help and protect these people!"

"Olivia! This is happening up and down the hallway. The second I saw the first dead person come back to life I came running down here to warn you, but obviously I was a little late." The seriousness and desperation on the surgeon's face instantly made Olivia believe every word her British colleague was saying.

"Okay, I believe you," Michelle let out a sigh of relief. She didn't like the idea that Olivia thought her to be a murderer. "But if deceased patients are coming back to life and harming others, then we need to warn everyone."

Michelle was already shaking her head frantically. "No, Olivia, you don't get it. They're literally eating people alive! I watched Doctor Jenkins get his arm torn off! For god's sake Olivia we have to leave now!" Olivia blue eyes looked down at Bill and suddenly widened.

"Well we have to try and save some!" Michelle put her hands on her hips and watched as Olivia moved towards the door.

"We can't! If you go out that door and try to help someone else I guarantee they'll get you." Olivia stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the white tile beneath her feet. "Look, I want to help them as bad as you do, but I'm not wrong on this! They are tearing people apart out there Olivia, so if we want to survive, we have to open that door and get the hell out of here."

Olivia turned back to Michelle who raised her eye brows hoping for an agreement. As much as she hated doing it, she knew it was right. Was she selfish? No, but that didn't change the situation that there were cannibalistic undead in the hospital.

"Fine, we'll do as you say." Michelle smiled weakly opening her mouth to speak but she was quickly cut off. "But if theirs someone out there that I think we can help, were helping them, got it?" Michelle hesitated but nodded and moved next to Olivia by the door. "Okay Michelle on three, one, two, three!"

Immediately Olivia swung the door open and stepped hastily out into the hallway with Michelle on her heels. Swinging away from the hallway's dead end both short British women saw a horrible sight.

The once shiny white tile down the hall was now flooded with blood. Doctors, nurses, patients, and even random people Olivia had never seen before were lying dead. The only person moving was one at the far end of the hallway and he was wobbling towards the fire escape stairs.

"Jesus Christ," Michelle gulped casually stepping into a large puddle of blood. "Let's just head downstairs and," but she was interrupted by a loud gurgling mumble.

Both women whipped their heads to operating room 203. "Hel-p meee," the voice moaned again. Olivia looked at Michelle who already shook her head but Olivia was ignored her by entering the room. Inside she found the man lying on the floor holding a bloody gash on his neck. His gray cropped hair a mess and sticky with blood, even his eyes seemed full of pain.

"Oh my god! Dr. Waylon!" Olivia was instantly crouching beside him. His eyes slowly looked at her and he attempted to speak but ended up coughing blood. "Don't speak, were going to get you out of here, just hold on!"

Michelle stood in the doorway with arms folded watching. She wasn't actually employed at the hospital so she didn't actually _know_ Dr. Waylon but she assumed Olivia and he were good friends. Even so, it pained her, but the man hobbling down the hall had turned around and she doubted he wasn't infected.

"Okay I'm going to stop the bleeding and were going to patch you up, but first we need to get out of here, okay?" Olivia helped the older doctor to his feet and carefully began moving to the door with his one arm over her. Michelle looked at both of them then stepped back out into the blood bath of a hallway. The man was now past the stairs to the lower ER rooms and merely five feet from them. His dark red eyes and shredded clothes proved Michelle's thoughts that he was infected.

"Is he-," Michelle cut Olivia off, "Yeah, I'm afraid so." Her green eyes scanned the floor for a weapon but to her dismay there was nothing. "Get back into the room! Go go!" As she gave the command the man lunched forward grabbing Michelle's hair seconds before she could get through the doorway.

With one loud groan and a yank of its abnormal strength Michelle was yanked straight to the tile in a lake of blood. She let out a scream of terror as the zombie now got on his knees and attempted to bite her, her arms her only defense against its razor teeth.

"OLIVIA! HELP!" She thrashed about splashing herself and the zombie with blood as she tried to roll out from beneath it. Suddenly there was loud _'thud' _and the zombie flopped off her rolling down the hall.

Michelle got up quickly and ran into the room slamming the door while Olivia still held the metal fold-up chair she had hit the zombie with. As soon as the door was shut and locked however she threw it to the ground with a _'clang'_ and turned back to Dr. Waylon who was still bleeding rapidly on the floor. "Well that was fun," she joked somewhat unhappily as she crouched by the older Doctor once again.

Michelle started to watch when suddenly there was a fierce knock on the door. She turned to stare at the door and watched to see if the door knob turned but instead she heard several hisses. "Shit they're trying to get in Olivia!"

The auburn haired Doctor whipped around her blue eyes alight with adrenaline. "Barricade it with something, I have to help Henry!"

Michelle did her best to obey orders even though her instincts told her to try and escape. They were wasting too much time and by now they could already be out of the hospital.

"I think that should do it," she announced before stepping away from operating table and the metal chair that now blocked the door.

Olivia nodded and got back to work attempting to stitch the bloody bite on Dr. Waylon's neck. He was getting pale and still couldn't speak. Both were bad signs and Olivia knew it. Michelle did too and as much as she hated herself, it was time to voice her opinion.

"Olivia we have to leave him. If we want to get out… we… we have to go." Almost hostile Olivia turned to her holding her hand over the warm bloody bite while Henry's eye lids fluttered drowsily. "Look, we can get out the window," Michelle indicated the window a few feet from Olivia, "We could repel down with the sheets in the corner over there, but what we can't do is stay here! Those things are about to break in!"

Sure enough the zombie's growls were getting louder and more intense. It was obvious they had increased in number and they were definitely aware that the trio was through the door.

"LOOK, I LOST MY WHOLE FAMILY IN A CAR CRASH A WEEK AGO!" I'm not about to lose another person in my life! So if you want to leave, the window is right there, go ahead!" Just hearing the intensity in Olivia's voice made Michelle freeze. She had no idea that Olivia had lost her family so recently.

Michelle looked around the room somewhat desperately while Olivia got back to work. Scratching her head for a second she finally made a decision and moved to the corner of the room beginning to tie sheets. Olivia glanced at her for half second in utter disrespect before continuing to work on Henry whose eyes were now closed.

"Hang on Henry. I've almost got it patched up, the bleeding has stopped your going to be fine," she soothed. But to her surprise the man didn't even budge to her voice. Instead he laid there like a corpse and instinctively Olivia reached for his wrist feeling for her pulse. Michelle looked up just in time to see Olivia collapse onto the doctor's chest weeping.

"I tried so hard! I'm so sorry Dr. Waylon!" Her wails infuriated the zombies outside the door and Michelle moved to her wrapping a comforting arm around her.

"Come on," she said weakly, emotions were beginning to overtake her as well. "Let's get out of here." Hesitantly she got Olivia to stand and move to the window.

Sliding it open Michelle lowered the rope of sheets out the window and was surprised to see it was the right length. Olivia wiped the tears from her cheeks and stared down the side of the hospital wall at it to the grass yard in the front of the building. "Okay but what are we going to tie it to?"

Michelle stared at her clueless when a raspy voice spoke from the bloody floor behind them. "I will."

Both women whipped around to find Dr. Waylon, his eyes squinting mouth slightly jarred. Olivia rushed over to him just as the door began to open and a single zombie arm appeared swinging fiercely. "No, you have to come with us Henry!"

Right away the doctor chuckled painfully and made his best attempt at a smirk. "You know I'd never make it Olivia, not like this. So tie the damn sheets around me and prop me against the wall by the window, my weight should hold you both." Olivia shook her head viciously but Michelle was already dragging the older doctor to the wall.

"No! No we are not leaving you Henry! You have to come with us!" Tears began to leak down Olivia's face again and Michelle was beginning to cry too.

"Olivia, just remember, when you get out these of this hell, find everyone close to you and hold them close. Being doctors we can only do so much to save lives and I don't want to see yours going to waste over a sixty year old man like myself." His voice was raspy but still full of his good natured humor even in his final minutes.

"But, but," Olivia mumbled uncontrollably while Michelle finished securing the sheet's around Henry's waist. "Michelle we are not seriously just going to leave him are we?"

Michelle turned to Olivia her eyes full of grief as tears fan down her face. She looked at the door where one zombie's head now poked through. "Olivia," she said softly, "I don't think we have a choice." Olivia then watched in horror as Michelle grabbed the sheets and Henry braced himself against the wall.

"Go god damn it Olivia, get out of here!" He ordered as fiercely as his rasping voice would allow. Finally Olivia obeyed getting up off her knees and moving to the window by Michelle.

"Alright, here I go," Michelle said uncertainly sitting on the window sill. Then in almost a jump she slid out the window a few feet down the wall barley clutching on to the sheets. Olivia looked away from her at Henry whose face was red with the effort of holding himself against the wall. Thank god the girls were so light, because if they were any heavier Henry would be unable to hold them.

After nearly a minute Michelle reached the bottom and signaled for Olivia to follow but instead she walked back to Henry and bent down in front of him. "I told you to go," he started but instantly stopped when she planted her lips on his forehead then lightly stepped back to the window staring at him sadly.

He returned the look then smiled weakly, "Get out of here Olivia, save yourself." _It didn't take any more than that and soon she was out the window, the last thing Henry saw of her, was her auburn hair… _

**Riddick Writer: Really, really, really, intense chapter! To Walking Primrose and Skullzandcrossbonez I really hope you enjoyed you're characters introduction because it was a blast to write. Hope you guys liked it and remember to review! I want to see if this story can hit fifty reviews! **


	7. Right and Wrong

**Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT I'VE BEEN PREOCCUPIED! But I finally got the chapter up you guys so enjoy! **

_Chapter 6: Right and Wrong_

Katrina carefully laid the small bundle of blankets down on the passenger seat of the van and kissed the infant's forehead before shutting the door and turning to the two patiently waiting women. Both were puzzled why the sixteen year old girl had made them stop nearly two blocks from their destination.

Colee was first to voice this, "So why did we stop three blocks away exactly?" Her voice was loud and echoed down the street instantly alarming Katrina's eyes behind her glasses.

Putting a finger she "Shushed" loudly signaling for Colee to be quiet. Looking even more confused Colee shut her lips and stared down the deserted streets. There wasn't a living organism to be found. She turned to Elizabeth but somehow the news reporter's eyes were staring down the street as if she understood what Katrina was getting at.

"Ok I'm sorry, but am I missing something here," she whispered somewhat bossily. Katrina and Elizabeth both looked at her. Elizabeth gave Katrina the go ahead to explain and casually began moving down the junkyard of a street.

"Colee have you ever watched any zombie movies?" Colee shook her head and began walking stride for stride with the teen. "Well in almost every single one," Katrina continued in a hushed voice, "sound attracted the zombies. So car horns, voices, gun shots, even me slamming the van's door could attract them. So the reason we stopped two blocks away from the Gander Mountain store is so we didn't attract all the zombies by driving the noisy van. Get it?"

There was a brief look of shock on the massage therapist's face but she quickly smiled. "That's pretty smart," she admitted making Katrina's normally worried face glow with pride.

The trio had already reached the end of the first block and Elizabeth was casually looking down both ways of the intersection. To their far right two zombies were hobbling in the other direction. Turning back to Colee and Katrina she pointed, both girls instantly spotted the undead duo and frowned.

"If were quiet we'll make it across," Katrina said uncertainly. Colee looked at the teen with raised eye brows. Was she already beginning to second guess her own idea?

"We'll make it," Colee encouraged confidently and as if out to prove it, took the first several steps across the intersection. Elizabeth and Katrina watched then whipped back to the zombies who were still lumbering the wrong way. Colee stopped by the pawn shop on the other side and waved them over. "Come on you two, I know you can both totally get across without walking but be normal for once."

She was barely audible but Elizabeth made out the words and snatched Katrina's arm dragging her with her across. Once on the sidewalk with Colee, they set off again. "So far so good," Elizabeth said softly making Colee and Katrina smile. Katrina's fear was literally coming off her in waves. Elizabeth noticed immediately but in order to not embarrass the teen in front of Colee, she remained silent.

Several minutes passed at the trio passed empty building after empty building and empty car after empty car. It was as if Madison's entire population had vanished, but as if a reminder that that was not the case, the girls found mutilated bodies every so often. Whether they had never gotten out of their vehicle or were lying dead in the street they were there, and already beginning to rot.

It made all of the girls sick to their stomachs to just glance at the bodies. But the bodies are finally what made Katrina say more about her theory on zombies.

"I think they eat people, like, once you're bit, you'll turn into one, but also once you're bit, I think they can smell you." The idea put both Colee and Elizabeth on edge. Either this teenager watched way too many cheesy zombie movies or she was right… Either way none of the three felt like getting mauled.

Just thinking about it brought Ronald's last moments back to Elizabeth's mind…

"_Go I'll hold them off," Ronald yelled indicating the four zombies that had nearly gotten Katrina. Katrina hesitated then climbed into the passenger seat next to her as she frantically screamed at Ronald. . _

_ "Ronald! Get back in! Ronald please we have to go!" But the forty year old wasn't listening as he swung nearly taking the first zombie's head off. "Ronald, please!" _

_ Katrina watched biting her lip, little Jake was still wailing in her arms. She noticed the other pack of zombies crossing the street behind Ronald and tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder making her turn quickly. "RONALD GET IN PLEASE!" her scream was futile however for just as he turned around the pack of zombies were all over him. _

_ The first two had team tackled him swatting his bat away and leaving him defenseless. Soon his chest was being ripped open, and Elizabeth was speeding away…_

Suddenly realization hit Elizabeth like a drum and she stopped walking and just stared into nothingness. Everyone she knew, everyone she loved, everyone dear to her, was dead. Not just Ronald, but her parents, her brother, even Stephen her old ex boyfriend… they're all dead.

"Elizabeth, are you okay?" Katrina snapped the news reporter back to real life and she looked around in a sort of panic. "Elizabeth?"

Finally she got a hold of her self and nodded so fast her brown hair flopped down in front of her face. "Yes I'm fine honey don't worry about me. Let's just keep moving, go on, follow Colee," she indicated the curly black haired woman who was now a few yards ahead of them.

Not entirely convinced Elizabeth was fine; she set off at a jog back behind Colee. Elizabeth followed and soon the trio was moving together just like before. The apocalyptic city scene was unchanging as they finally reached their destination nearly a half a mile from where they had started.

The Gander Mountain store was massive, made in ugly brown brick that made the already unattractive building even duller. But due to its large supply of hunters in Madison, Wisconsin, this wouldn't have been a problem, but a zombie apocalypse, that's a bit of a business killer.

The three girls casually crossed the street onto the blacktop of Gander Mountain's parking lot which was filled with empty vehicles and corpses. Colee moved to the nearest corpse which appeared to be a female missing an eye and observed with some disgust on her face. She then perked up and squinted to the next body a few feet away. "Is it just me or all they all wearing camoflauge? I can't tell."

Elizabeth moved closer to the store and glanced in the back of a black ford truck to find what appeared to be a dead deer. Its carcass was torn to shreds and the only part that remained was bones. "Um, I'm not sure but there's a deer in this truck… or there was."

Katrina smirked at the two women. Obviously they weren't married and it was pretty evident neither of them hunted, but still deer season was this week. "It's deer season," Katrina told them.

"Oh that's why; the infection broke out during our deer season that explains all the camouflage." Elizabeth scanned the section of parking lot closer to the stores entrance and spotted a few corpses wearing blaze orange. "Those were actual hunters," she said grimly pointing. Katrina and Colee followed her index finger for a second then followed Elizabeth up to the glass doors.

"Elizabeth stop," Katrina rushed in front of her surprising the news reporter a little. She then couldn't help but smile at the teen and raise her brows. Colee just looked on, scanning the area behind them for undead. "There could be more in here, so what are we going to do? The store could have some sort of bell ding when we walk in."

Elizabeth removed her blue eyes from Katrina's glasses and stared through the glass calmly. There was a long pause and finally Colee broke it, "Oh come on whatever's in there we can take em." As if expecting both girls to agree, Colee strode past Katrina and flung the doors open entering the store. Katrina stared after and sighed while Elizabeth patted her on the shoulder.

"Come on honey, Colee and I will protect you, I promise," she soothed. Katrina frowned then as if annoyed, stormed off after Colee leaving Elizabeth puzzled. Had she offended the teen?

Sure enough as soon as Elizabeth stepped on the black door mat inside the brightly lit store a loud _'ding', _echoed throughout the store. Looking around the completely deserted checkout area, she easily spotted Katrina chasing Colee down aisle 3. The teen's black ponytail bouncing as she ran.

Elizabeth broke into a faster walking pace than usual and soon was turning into the aisle staring at all the merchandise. Duck calls, Deer calls, fishing poles, all the stuff some Wisconsinites could really get behind.

"So we need to find a tent Colee, possibly more than one if we can," Elizabeth said. Colee stopped at the end of the aisle and locked her hazel eyes down to the other side of the store. It wasn't until Katrina and Elizabeth reached her that they saw what it was.

Rows and rows of firearms such as rifles and shotguns lined the whole far side of the store. In the display cases there were even fancier guns along with boxes full of ammunition. Almost as if being called to them Katrina and Colee started walking towards them but Elizabeth quickly halted them, "Wait!"

Both girls stopped, looked at each other, and then Elizabeth whose eyes were wide with concern. "If we all grab guns, the three of us, people who have never touched any in our lives, and we go running around with these, we could hurt each other or worse kill each other!" Colee smirked and ran a hand through her sleek black hair revealing her forehead and smirked.

"So what, you want us to slap the zombies to death?" Elizabeth tried hard not to look offended and moved her hands to her hips. "Well, I don't care what you have to say, I'm grabbing something." And with a dismissive wave Colee turned her back on Elizabeth and strutted across the store towards the guns. Katrina watched then turned back to Elizabeth.

"Your own theory of the zombies being attracted to sound goes against guns," Elizabeth explained. Sighing Katrina nodded, taking off her glasses she wiped them clean with her shirt and put them back on thoughtfully.

"Look, we can do this without guns." There was slight pause, long enough for Katrina to shoot a look at Colee who was examining a shotgun somewhat clumsily. "Come on honey; think about Jake, do you really want another thing that can harm him around?" Jake seemed to be the magic word because instantly Katrina nodded.

"You're right, okay… let's go find those tents." Smiling Elizabeth turned and the led the way in the opposite direction of Colee who watched from the gun racks smirking.

XVX

The horizon before Matt was turning a bright orange around the clouds and it was obvious that daylight was running out. Matt looked over at his phone lying the dash, 5:00, nearly three hours since he had left the two teens at the gas station.

Just thinking about it a massive wave of guilt passed through the forty five year old. He broke a sweat and suddenly found himself biting his lip as he pulled the truck over to the curb and stomped on the brake parking the truck next to a small restaurant.

He then sat staring straight ahead as his stone blue eyes wandered uselessly. He had left two teenagers to die. Two human beings, two people, _two… comrades._ Suddenly thoughts of the war five years ago emerged in his head:

_ "Sgt. Hammond, two insurgents just went back through the alley you're orders sir!" The U.S ranger squad ran across the street to him nosily sending dust flying behind them. _

_ Matt adjusted himself and lay in front of the ally then threw off his helmet and glared down the alley. "Take the street over there and go around, if they went left it's a dead end! Chase the assholes right back down this alley." The ranger nodded then signaled for the squad to move out leaving Matt alone with the two privates behind the car behind him. _

_ Minutes passed since the ranger squad had jumped into pursuit and Matt was getting antsy. He rolled over to face the privates who stared at him blankly. "Stay here, I'll be right back, watch my back down this alley!" _

_ With a duo of "yes sirs," Matt got up and cautiously moved to the alley aiming his M4 carbine aggressively. He found himself biting his lip and soon was passing the first of three dumpsters sitting in the alley. Kicking it harshly he aimed his gun down it, never could be too careful in Iraq. _

_ Taking a few more cautious steps he passed the second dumpster, still no sign of the enemy and things were getting odd. Glancing back at the privates behind the car he began to move forward again, finally reaching the last dumpster. With a deep breath he flung it open and instead of black garbage bags found himself looking into the face of bearded man with big brown eyes. Instantly he grabbed the man and yanked him out throwing him onto the dirt alley hard. _

_ "Where are they! Where did they go!" he demanded fiercely aiming the gun at the man's face. That's when Matt's eyes caught a glimpse of the black device in the man's hand and froze. "What is that," he demanded, "drop it!" But instead the man rolled over onto his stomach and stared down the alley at the car and the two privates. _

_ He then spoke in perfect English, "Say goodbye to you're friends", and pushed a red button on the device. Matt's eyes shot to the car and his dust covered boots began to move him past the Muslim. "GET OUT OF THERE! RUN!" But he was far too late; the white vehicle was decimated in a matter of seconds by a fiery explosion that sent one of the tires spiraling past Matt as he fell to his knees in disbelief. _

_ Suddenly he felt a new surge of energy. Adrenaline and rage took over his body as he listened to the snickering laughter behind him. Standing he turned to the Muslim who was lying there still, showing off a yellow smile. _

_ Matt instantly grabbed him by his white robe and yanked him up against the wall. Almost as if not thinking Matt's right hand instinctively connected with the Muslim's face sending blood across the dirt. Then a left, then right, again and again. His gloved fists met the Muslim's face repetitively and soon he was crying tears of pain. Taking a moment to catch a breath Matt stepped back allowing the Muslim to slide down against the wall. His face was no longer a caramel color but literally black and blue with bruises, one of his eyes was sealed shut from swelling already. _

_ Matt spat on the man, "YOU FUCKING LIKE THAT!" he screamed before sending a heavy kick right into the man's groin making him scream. "HUH? WHAT'S THAT? YOU WANT ME TO STOP?" The man rolled on the ground sobbing as Matt kicked him again and again. Suddenly Matt had thrown his M4 aside and drawn his handgun. _

_ Aiming right at the man's foot he let a bullet go increasing the man's pain tenfold. "WHAT'S THAT ASSHOLE? STOP?" Instead Matt put the gun to the man's palm on his right hand; squeezing the trigger he sent the bullet straight through the man's hand spewing blood all over the dirt. "HOW DOES IT FEEL ASSHOLE?" Finally he grabbed the man and put him on his knees then, with a nasty 'splosh', sent a bullet through his forehead splattering the dumpster with blood. _

_ When Matt holstered his pistol, he looked up to see the ranger squad. Each member was staring at him with a new idea of sick. The squad leader casually stepped forward and stepped over the Muslim's mangled body carefully. He placed a firm hand on Matt's shoulder, "Sgt. Matt Hammond, you're being discharged by the U.S Military, please come with us." _

Suddenly a loud moan brought Matt back from his memory and he stared through his windshield at the white van ahead of him. An ugly shirtless man was banging on it, his body covered with bloody gashes and splotches of muck. Curious, Matt opened the door of his truck gaining its attention.

It hobbled towards him hastily and in response Matt flipped his rife in his hands and began taking batter steps. Then raising the butt of the rifle behind his buzz cut head, he swung connecting with the zombie's jaw perfectly. There was sickening '_snap',_ as the zombie's head went reverse before collapsing to the ground with a broken neck.

Matt then moved the gun to one hand and stepped past the dead zombie towards the white van a good twelve feet away. Passing the rear of it he heard a noise, something like, like… _a baby crying? _

Curiosity overpowering his sense of rationality, he ran to the passenger side and peered through the van. No doubt about it, lying in a bundle of blankets right on the passenger seat was an infant. No older than five months he assumed.

He let out a sympathetic sigh and took a step back to scan the area. No one. Not a living soul. "Who would leave a baby?" he asked himself out loud. No answer.

He slung the rifle over his shoulder and opened the door of the van hesitantly to stare at the crying infant. But as soon as he opened the door, the crying stopped, instead it turned to giggling. Matt's harsh features disappeared as a smile crossed his face. _"Question is, do I take you, or do I leave you?" a sly grin passed his face and from a distance it would appear if he was robbing a bundle of blankets… _

**Riddick Writer: Probably the chapter with the least amount of action thus far but this necessary for good stories. Next chapter were going to have a lot of OCS meeting each other as long as a few unintroduced OCS entering the story. Should be a blast to write hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Remember to review, because I love reading them, and looking to have every chapter posted weekly now. Not every three weeks… :P **


	8. Choices

**Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: **Again sorry for the slow updates but it's going to be weekly I promise. Enjoy the chapter!

_Chapter 7: Choices_

The city was blanketed in darkness as the first night since the apocalypse fell. Matt glanced as his phone as he pulled into the deserted grocery store parking lot. 7:00 P.M and already dark, that meant the days were getting shorter. Great, just what he needed he thought to himself.

Parking his red truck right next to the store's front door, he grabbed the babbling bundle of blankets and stepped out into the chilly night air. He scanned the parking lot for any zombies then causally walked to the back of his pick up and yanked out the duffle bag holding the child with his other massive arm. "Let's go see if we can find some chow," he said to Jake who stared at him blankly with big blue eyes. He frowned at the baby's expression and rummaged through his bag for the Remington shotgun. Once he had it, he kicked the bag underneath the truck and entered the store, baby in one arm, and shotgun in the other hand.

Upon entering the grocery store lights lit up across the ceiling like magic making Jake giggle. Matt couldn't help but smile and walked through one of the checkout counters dismally. No sign of live… just stillness.

Suddenly several boxes of cereal fell from aisle 6 and a man wearing the store's brown polo stumbled out. Matt looked at him and quickly found himself locking eyes with his. The sickly red color was disturbing but not as disturbing as the bit of bone sticking out of the man's wrist as he began to waddle towards Matt and Jake.

Jake completely unaware of what was going on, was set down on the checkout counter while Matt stormed to greet the intruder. His stone blue eyes flashed to the man's name tag, "Hey Greg, sorry it had to be this way pal," then without hesitation he raised the gun and launched a shell through Greg.

There was an impressive splatter of blood as the lifeless body flew two feet backwards and slid across the white tile in shiny red liquid. Turning back to Jake, Matt heard his unmistakable cry and ran over to him.

He threw down the gun and picked up the sobbing infant carefully holding him to his chest. "Oh come on squirt, don't cry, come on," he moaned trying to rock him.

It was too no avail and soon the soldier was beginning to get annoyed. "Come on, can you just stop… please?" There was a slight pause as Jake opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling, but soon they were shut again and his high pitched wail was echoing the store once more.

Matt rolled his eyes and was beginning to regret taking the infant. I should have just left him, he thought to himself.

That's when Matt heard a moan through the crying and spun around to find a woman wearing the same brown polo. Her head was cranked awkwardly to the left and her eyes were redder than the previous zombie with a bit of blood leaking from her pale lips.

"God damn it your consistent crying is going to attract the whole damn army! Would you shut up!" he yelled at the baby instantly making Jake open his eyes and close his mouth. His bald head turn slightly to the left where he spotted the zombie and began to giggle.

Matt looked from Jake to the closing zombie in confusion then laid Jake back down on the counter where he began to babble. "Ba-ba, go-go," is what Matt think he said as he retrieved his shotgun and blasted their second intruder. Instantly Jake began to wail again, as soon as the zombie hit the floor. "OH COME ON!" Matt screamed as he marched back to the baby.

"What are you hungry… tired?" He began making random demands about anything he could think of, and then realized the unpleasant odor coming from Jake. He sighed, "Shit, I knew taking you was going to mean trouble…"

XVX

A fresh wave of sadness and regret shook the sixteen year old again as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks onto the floor of the van. Sitting next to her in the news van was Elizabeth, her right arm wrapped around the teen supportively.

"Shh, don't cry Katrina I promise we'll-," but for the first time in awhile, the reporter was cut off. Katrina tore her glasses from her face and threw them to the floor of the van's back, "No, just, just leave me alone for a few minutes… please?"

Elizabeth was shocked and slowly removed her arm. Hesitating, she finally opened the door of the van and stepped outside into the night where Colee was leaning against the van. Sitting upright next to her was a shiny, black, semi-auto shotgun. She had boasted that his was one of the most expensive she could find and that's why she grabbed it. Whether or not it was loaded, Elizabeth hadn't a clue.

The street light near the van cast an almost perfect spotlight on the two women as they stood in silence. Other than the infrequent blowing of the wind, all they could hear were Katrina's sobs from inside the van. It was beyond sad to listen to, it was miserable.

Finally Colee brushed her black curls back and let out a dramatic sigh, "He won't go long without being fed, you know that right?" Elizabeth's blue eyes shot from the black top to Colee's face.

"Of course I know that. I planned for us to try and stop at a hospital and find some artificial stuff but…" her voice died as a fierce wind passed blowing her brown hair back.

"I see. But now here we are three girls and a missing baby." She sounded optimistic, as if she had expected this to occur.

"Well let's think of what could have happened because that door was shut, I watched her shut it. I suppose Jake could've managed to open the door by tugging on the handle," but Elizabeth's uncertainty was evident and Colee smiled weakly at the foolish assumption. Even Elizabeth knew it was stupid and naïve.

"I doubt he could manage that and judging by how there's no sign of break in, I think it's save to say he didn't get eaten." Elizabeth took a step backwards and glanced through the window to see Katrina, her hands and let down black hair covering her face. Seeing enough, she took the step back towards Colee out of Katrina's view.

"So what are you saying Colee? He just disappeared?"

Colee shook her head and picked up the shotgun unprofessionally. "No, I'm saying someone like us must have taken him." Elizabeth looked confused for a second but quickly came to realize that this was the only rational solution.

"You're right. I can't think of any other possible explanation, but if someone took him… who? And where did they go?" Now it was Colee's turn to be confused as she shrugged.

"You want my opinion we forget it and get back to the park to set up one those tents." Elizabeth's jaw dropped open as she closed on Colee's personal space slightly.

"Are you saying we should just forget about Jake entirely? What if he's alive, Colee? What if he's crying somewhere or this person is trying to find us?"

Colee calmly took a few steps back from Elizabeth out of the street light's ray of yellow. "There's nothing we can do tonight, its dark, cold, look the best thing we can do is survive the night and then try looking in the morning." She barely finished the sentence before the reporter was shaking her head.

"Colee he could die by then. So either we look for Jake tonight or we simply give up, our best chance is to look now while we still have an idea of to where they went."

Colee raised her brows with interest, "And you know where they went?" The question caught Elizabeth of guard and she frowned.

"Well no, but," she was lost for words while the massage therapist stood waiting patiently. Secretly Colee had felt right all along. Losing Jake might be one of the best things that can happen for them, I mean now they didn't have to worry about the baby attracting the whole city!

"We should still try though. For Katrina's sake," Elizabeth put in quietly making Colee's hazel eyes spark with interest. "Jake is her only sibling and think about it as if Jake was your sibling, are you telling me you would just leave him to whatever fate and not go looking?"

"No, but," Colee started but was unable to finish and instead sighed heavily. "I suppose," just as a door slammed and Katrina appeared from the rear of the van, her face still wet from tears. Her hair was still down as well, slumped over her dropping shoulders.

Katrina looked at Elizabeth with hopeful blue eyes, "So are we going to try and find him?" Elizabeth held her stare then looked at Colee. The expression on the massage therapist's face showed she didn't like the idea. Katrina followed the reporter's gaze making Colee step away and pace back. The cool night winds made waiting Colee's brief pace back and forth take forever but finally she decided.

"…Fine, but if were going to do this let's go right now." Elizabeth and Katrina both nodded, Katrina seeming to cheer up a little as she looked to Elizabeth.

"Do you think we'll find him?" She asked, making Elizabeth smile and place her hands on Katrina's face.

"I'm sure we will honey," she said cheerfully making Katrina hug her. At first she was surprised and was hesitant to wrap her arms around the teen, but eventually she returned the hug and let go. Katrina was now looking at Colee.

"Colee?" The massage therapist turned to stare at Katrina, "Do you think we'll find Jake?" Colee's hazel eyes went from Katrina to Elizabeth and back.

Suddenly she smiled, "Oh we'll find him alright, no doubt about it." Katrina grinned happily and began jogging off down the street with Colee and Elizabeth behind.

"This is going to be a bad idea," Elizabeth heard Colee mutter from behind. She ignored it and instead focused on the teenager ahead of her. Somehow, Elizabeth felt as if Katrina was her responsibility. _Almost as if, as if Katrina was her daughter… _

XVX

Passing street light after street light in the cool nigh air both British doctors refused to stop running. Behind them they could hears shrieks and moans from the pack of zombies that they accidentally ran into when they tried to enter a bank for the night. Instead, they freed about ten monsters that craved their flesh and so now here they were, running for their lives.

Michelle's green eyes flashed up to the street sign above the red octagon that read 'West Doty Street'. "Quick Olivia, this way," she took the right and stepped on the sidewalk still flying with great speed. Olivia wasn't far behind and soon both doctors were around the corner running parallel with a bunch of abandoned cars on the street.

"Where do you plan to run?" Olivia panted from behind her making Michelle's mind desperately search for a response. The shrieks were getting closer by the second and they couldn't just run forever!

Finally she spotted a building that seemed like an option. "Inside there," she pointed at the building and flung the doors open stumbling inside. Olivia practically fell in right behind her just as their pursuers rounded the corner, but by that time Michelle had already shut the doors.

Olivia lay on the floor huffing with exhaustion while Michelle slid down against the door practically weeping for breath. "That… was… too close," Olivia huffed as she wiped the sweat from her brow and moved across the cool tile floor to the counter facing the door. Suddenly she wondered where they were and looked around.

In a matter of seconds Olivia recognized the room as the lobby to the Dale County Sheriff's Office. Suddenly she looked to her left and spotted all the offices letting a frown cross her freckled face. "Where are we exactly," Michelle asked as she followed Olivia's gaze to the offices.

"Were inside the Sheriff's Office," Olivia said somewhat happily as she stood and turned to face the front desk. Instinctively she reached for the phone and dialed a number. The younger British doctor stood and watched curiously while Olivia stood with the phone to her wavy auburn hair.

After nearly two minutes of hearing nothing but the wind blowing outside in the dark, Olivia hung up. "Damn it, it would be nice if just something worked," she exclaimed making Michelle slump against the wall by the door again.

"Well at least we escaped our chasers in here," Michelle gestured to the building's interior making Olivia smirk. "Look if we survived this long Olivia we should be able to survive the whole thing, don't you agree?"

Olivia let out a loud sigh preparing to answer one of the most difficult questions of her life, but before her first words got out, their was a loud gurgling of some sort. Both British doctors froze and turned to the right. "I think it came from down that hallway," Michelle whispered. Olivia nodded and straight faced began moving around the front desk towards the rather dark hall.

Olivia hesitated at the entrance of the hallway to see if Michelle was behind her. When she was satisfied, Olivia pressed on listening closely for the gurgling noise. Passing wooden door after wooden door they were soon at a dead end and hadn't heard a thing. "Do you think it-," but Olivia silenced Michelle instantly as another choking gurgle came from the second to last door on the right.

"In there!" Michelle lurched forward seizing the door handle but was stopped when the older doctor ripped her from the door.

"Bloody hell Michelle! We don't know what's in there yet, it could be one of the infected waiting for someone to come to it." The younger surgeon took a step back and ran a hand through her purple streaks uncertainly while Olivia took a deep breath. "But we have to open it and try and save whoever's in here no matter what." Michelle nodded and positioned herself directly behind Olivia.

Suddenly the door was flung open revealing nothing more than a coffee room and a deputy still wearing his Sheriff Department's clothing. He was slumped down by the window sill clutching an injury on his neck. Instantly Olivia got down by him, "When did you get bit? How long have you been sitting? Have you tried stopping the bleeding?" Her questions were frantically shot off leaving the bleeding deputy utterly confused.

"Okay, well, do you know where we can find a first aid kit?" The man turned his head in agonizing pain causing more dark red liquid to flow through his fingers. He then lifted his bloody, but free arm to indicate the red medical cabinet above one of the many coffee makers.

Michelle glided across the room to the cabinet while Olivia instructed the deputy to move his hand; he did so hesitantly revealing a wound very similar to Dr. Waylon's. The bite mark was deadly close to the artery and deep, but thankfully, it wasn't fatal, yet.

"Michelle," Olivia felt a rush of adrenaline coming upon her as she took the first aid kit from Michelle and plopped it next to her opening it at record breaking speed. "Okay first things first, Michelle rinse these in water then clean the wound while I prepare what painkillers he should take." Nodding Michelle rushed over to the sink and began washing the cloths madly.

The deputy watched both women work and couldn't help but smile. He thought for sure he wouldn't make it through the night, but what were the chances of him being discovered by two doctors? Suddenly a thought racked his amazed brain and he opened his mouth to speak.

Instead he let out a sickly sounding gurgle causing Olivia to slap a cold hand on his mouth. "Shh, don't speak; just keep quiet, the more you move the more blood you circulate."

Michelle returned from the sink with the cloths and removing the man's blood soaked hand, pressed the cold cloths to the man's bite. Immediately the wound cleaned up and the once white cloth was turning pure red.

Michelle paused for a moment and examined the wound with her green eyes. "The bleeding's stopped." Olivia looked up from the several bottles of painkillers and smiled.

"Good, keep at it, make sure it doesn't start up again." Michelle obeyed and soon the deputy was looking less pale and not so teary eyed.

"Th-thank you, b-both of you, I don't know what I would of done if you g-g-guys hadn't shown u-up." Both British girls blushed a little; the deputy was an attractive one. Or at least both Olivia and Michelle thought.

Suddenly the deputy remembered what he wanted to say before. "In the public s-safety building, the-theirs one inmate still alive, I was talking to him by radio before I got bit, he's still locked in his c-ell." Olivia and Michelle shot each other wary glances while Olivia began counting the amount of white tablets in her palm.

"Okay um, hold these," Olivia gently placed the pills in the deputy's hands, "Michelle, what do you think? I mean letting an inmate loose and having him standing here with us, that's sounds perfectly safe right?" The sarcasm in Olivia's voice was beyond evident and Michelle thought about the idea for a minute.

The deputy watched with anticipation. It was obvious that he thought the inmate should be released but what if the inmate was some sort of mad serial killer? Well, that's just a risk we'll have to take Michelle decided to herself.

Without hesitation Michelle moved to the deputy brushing her brunette hair out of her face. "Give me the keys and I'll go let him out." Olivia's blue eyes flashed with anger at the younger surgeon but the deputy was more important right now, despite the fact that Michelle had once again, made her own decision.

"Here's the k-eys, not sure what cell he's in and be careful," he paused as a wave of pain throbbed through him. "The place is probably crawling with infected." Michelle nodded taking the keys from him and stood up looking at Olivia who was moving back to the deputy with a glass of water.

"Well are you going to stand there or go free the guy?" Michelle smirked at Olivia and exited the room leaving her British colleague to work on the injured deputy. Thankfully the deputy's neck bite was nowhere near as serious as Dr. Waylon's who was beyond repair.

Walking back into the main lobby of the building Michelle got the shivers. She regretted removing her white lab coat after escaping the hospital, it would've of been warmer than just the white t-shirt she was wearing.

Very casually she pushed the doors open and peeked her brunette/purple colored head outside. She was blasted by a cool gust of night air but other than that the usually busy Street was empty and she slipped out onto the sidewalk.

Looking to her right she spotted the significantly larger building labeled, 'Building of Public Safety'. Walking at a swifter pace than usual she walked up to the front doors where she was greeted by a rotting corpse. Closing her eyes she stepped over the unrecognizable face and entered the smelly building.

The lobby was very small and had several halls branching away from it. The only thing of remote importance in the lobby was the front desk and computer but both were covered in blood. Michelle was already disturbed at the corpse outside, so now to see all the blood stains was even more terrifying.

Glancing at all four halls she picked the farthest right one because it read cells 1-23. Upon rounding the corner, the nice gray carpet in the lobby disappeared and was replaced with musty cement. Littered like trash along the hall were bodies of inmates, guards, and even random civilians. Each body with theirs eyes wide open, some even had red eyes which meant not everyone died here without a fight.

Suddenly Michelle's heart beat rocketed and adrenaline began pumping through her. It almost sounded like someone was… following her! She spun around on her heels only to see nothing but the bright lights reflecting off the wall from the lobby.

Not positive no one was there she turned back around just in time to walk into a cell door. She let out a shriek of fright then took a moment to recover when she spotted the two bodies inside. Each one stinking with rot and blood, two smells doctors were accustomed to.

After taking a few seconds to recover, Michelle began moving down the hallway. Suddenly she saw an arm stick out of the bars in the very last cell, "HEY! IS SOMEONE DOWN THERE?" _Michelle's eyes widened in shock, their actually was an inmate still alive? _

**Riddick Writer: **Oh boy there's an inmate still alive so will Michelle actually free him, or will she decide its saver to leave him? Also, what will happen with Matt and Jake? Will Elizabeth and her companions run into them? WHO KNOWS! IT'S AN APOCALYPSE! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN! Hope you guys liked the chapter and remember who loves reviews? THIS GUY!


	9. Escape

**Walking Dead: Survival of the Fittest**

**Riddick Writer: **Okay so I SUCK at keeping promises, but it's hard to update when you're having girl issues, driving tests, school, and social drama. But finally I've managed to post this chapter, so enjoy! It's a good one… and also the last one for this first story in the series!

_Chapter 8: Escape_

Another trumpeting gun shot rang out through Madison's dark and gloomy streets, leading the female trio even closer to the source. "It's this way!"

Katrina took off down the street her black hair flying loosely behind her head like leaves in the wind. Colee and Elizabeth jogged after her quietly, Colee's hands gripping the shotgun awkwardly due to inexperience. Suddenly she stopped just as Katrina did so too, a good twenty yards ahead. Elizabeth noticed and did the same about halfway in between her companions.

"Katrina, what is it?" Elizabeth panted out loud making the teen slowly raise her arm and point. Confused, the reporter began to hobble towards the teen, she wasn't used to running so much in her life. But then again, maybe the apocalypse was good for losing weight?

When Elizabeth reached the teen, her blue eyes got just as wide as Katrina's. A swarm of pale bodies were descending around the large grocery store forming a sort of semi circle towards the front doors and the red pick up truck parked in front of the doors. Both girls didn't even notice Colee as she calmly walked up behind them and dropped her jaw at the sight.

"There has to be a hundred of them," Katrina exclaimed with concern. Elizabeth and Colee were speechless; both were just in shock at the sight of so many zombies. Panic beginning to overtake her Katrina turned rapidly from Elizabeth to Colee. "What if Jake is in there! We have to rescue him!"

Colee responded immediately, her tone was harsh, "And what if he's not?" The words dug into Katrina liked a dagger and her blue eyes began to well with tears beneath her glasses.

Elizabeth looked away from the zombies to Katrina who was rubbing her eyes fiercely hoping to avoid crying again. "W-we, could t-try and lure them away… and then one of us could g-go inside… and find Jake," the teen mumbled miserably. Suddenly the news reporter wrapped her arms around Katrina seconds before she began to sob. Almost instantly the zombies nearing the store paused and began turning as fast as their mutilated legs would let them.

"No, no, don't cry Katrina… shh, I promise were going to find him. I promise," Elizabeth soothed to Katrina who began to snivel. Colee was intently watching the horde; it had lost interest already and was moving back towards the store.

"Colee, are they moving this way still," Elizabeth asked in a hushed voice.

Colee shook her head frowning and casually took a few steps towards the store. "It looks like their going back-," she was silenced mid sentence by another booming gun shot that echoed from the store like a bomb.

Katrina pulled away from Elizabeth and stared in horror as the zombies began swarming at an alarming rate into the store. They were literally smashing the red truck in front by crawling and leaping on it uncontrollably fighting to get in the now demolished doors.

"We have to get in there and save Jake! He's in there! I know it! Come on Elizabeth, please! I can't bear losing him…" Elizabeth bit her lip and adjusting her brown hair so it was out of her face she moved next to Colee.

Her face was set firmly with her blue eyes staring contently at the store. "Katrina and I are going in. Are you coming?"

Colee's hazel eyes searched Elizabeth's face for some form of insanity but when she found nothing but sanity she sighed. "I don't… I don't know Elizabeth."

Katrina squealed in anxiousness, "We can't just wait around! We have to go now! Come on!" And without any hesitation Katrina bolted across the street to the store's parking lot just as the last zombie disappeared into the store's brightly lit interior. Elizabeth gave Colee a sharp look but didn't speak, and instead chased after Katrina.

_Colee watched the two girls full out sprint towards the store and for a second she almost followed… but instead, she turned her back and began walking back down the dark street alone…_

**XVX**

The ex solider sprinted down the cereal aisle knocking boxes off the shelves as he desperately tried to escape the mass of bleeding cannibals behind him. The whole while, Jake was wailing bloody murder in his arm as Matt carried the infant like a football. "SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Matt couldn't help but scream as he finally rounded out of the aisle to find himself in the back part of the store where all the refrigerated items were held.

Adrenaline lit the man's veins like fire to oil as he suddenly plopped Jake on top of a freezer storing ice cream. Jake continued crying but seemed to be pleased about no longer being in Matt's arms as he watched Matt whip around already aiming the shotgun.

Matt watched as zombies began appearing from all directions. Closing in on him and the infant with their blood shot eyes locked on them. Matt's eyes flashed from mutilated body to mutilated body until finally he launched a booming shell into the head of particularly ugly zombie. There was sickening crunch as the shell blew away the once human's face in a flash of gore before plopping the body to the ground dead again.

Matt pumped the shotgun fiercely, his back now against the freezer with Jake. "One down, three hundred more to go!" the ex soldier yelled angrily just as Jake's wails began once more. A female zombie missing an eye charged from the cereal aisle only to be literally blown apart in splash of blood. _Ting! _Another shotgun shell was ejected from the gun and bounced to the tile by Matt's boots as he desperately pumped the gun hoping for another shot, but that was it, the gun was empty.

"Son of a bitch," Matt yelled as he looked every direction all he could see were pale, bloodied bodies craving flesh. "You fubar mother fuckers want me! Come and get some! Come on!"

The horde moaned in response as they closed in hobbling and jogging towards the man and the infant once again, Matt couldn't help questioning himself… _Is this the end of Matt Hammond? Did I live this long, survive the military, all for nothing? Was my life truly so pointless? _

The first zombie to reach Matt received the butt of the shotgun to the face, knocking it to the ground in a pitiful groan. But by the time Matt could turn the other direction another had tackled him to the ground aggressively ripping at his arms and the gun trying to bite him. With a grunt of effort Matt rolled it off and stood up, squinting, his stone blue eyes caught something. At the far side of the store there were no zombies anymore, they were all within sight!

In a flash of pure adrenaline Matt turned his back on the horde and gave Jake a fierce push along the freezer's glass. The infant immediately stopped crying and replaced the noise with a giggling laughter as he slid all the way towards the far side of the store while the zombies clumsily attempted to snatch him.

Now it was Matt's turn. The ex solider leaped up on the freezer and began running along it kicking away any arms that ripped at his pants. "Get off!" He fiercely batted one female zombie in the face so hard, he thought her neck snapped. In a matter of seconds Matt had escaped the center of the horde and grabbing Jake who began wailing once more, he leapt of the freezer and was free to run again.

He sprinted along the dairy products back towards the front of the store and slipped around the corner in a puddle of blood right into a woman. Both collided and fell to the ground loudly Jake crying the entire time as he fell directly on top of the ex solider who was now covered in blood.

"Oh my gosh! Elizabeth are you okay? Jake? Oh my gosh that is you!"

Suddenly a black haired girl wearing glasses tore the baby from a dazed Matt who stared at her blearily, still holding his shotgun with one hand tightly. The other woman stood up slowly with a face of disgust as she noticed the blood now covering her hoodie. "Yes, I'm fine Katrina," she said softly, her blue eyes moved from the teen to the muscular man on the floor. Her eyes flicked with amusement, "Are you okay?" she then offered a hand that Matt accepted gratefully standing.

"YOU STOLE MY BROTHER!"

Katrina's face was a flustered red as she glared at Matt through her glasses, her arms wrapped around the bundle of blankets known as Jake who was for once… quiet. Matt frowned while Elizabeth stared at him for a long time, but for some reason, she was unable to speak to this stranger.

Suddenly a pack of the horde stumbled out of an aisle from behind Katrina moaning angrily. "LOOK! You want to talk about this shit some other time? Because we got bigger problems!" Matt pointed making Katrina and Elizabeth shriek with fright.

Matt started back the way he came but stopped when what looked like the majority of the horde rounded that corner. Katrina turned to Matt, "This is all you're fault! If you wouldn't have shot that gun off like an idiot, none of them would be here!"

Matt rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Shut up and try and find a way out!"

Elizabeth didn't blame the stranger for being so harsh to Katrina. The teen needed to learn when to speak her mind, and when to let her actions speak. Now was definitely a time for action as the horde closed in once again.

Matt's eyes surveyed their surroundings wildly and finally came to rest on a red shopping cart behind Elizabeth. "Hey," he got the reporter's attention, "give me that cart!"

The zombie's moans were beginning to overpower their voices and Katrina looked ready to cry just like Jake who was balling again.

As soon as Matt had the cart he threw his black shotgun inside and stared down through the horde to the main entrance. "Alright! I'm going to run into them and knock them down the best I can! You two follow," but as he said the words it became obvious that they wouldn't be able to just simply follow, at least not both of them. "On second thought, you," he pulled Katrina roughly to the cart, "Sit inside and hold your brother!"

Katrina's eyes got wide beneath her glasses and she looked to Elizabeth for some sort of guidance. "Do it, we don't have a choice," was all the advice Elizabeth could offer.

So hesitantly Katrina obeyed, crawling into the cart holding Jake tighter than ever just as a bald and very bloody zombies reached the cart trying to grab her. She screamed but quickly stopped when Matt kicked the zombie back towards the rest of the approaching horde.

"Okay! Stay close, here goes hell!" With a face set of determination, Matt began thrusting himself and the cart forward with incredible speed.

Elizabeth sprinted after him ducking and swerving to avoid the reach of their attackers. Suddenly one caught hold of her hoodie, immediately Elizabeth began fighting her way forward desperately fighting the urge to scream as more and more bloodshot eyes surrounded her. Her hands fumbled to her zipper and in a matter of seconds she was free of its grasp and now crawling by the zombie's mutilated legs as they attempted to grab at her. For some reason, their attempts seemed futile and in a matter of seconds, the news reporter was sprinting behind Matt again who was still bowling zombies over as they got closer and closer to the main entrance.

The whole time Elizabeth could hear Jake's wails and Katrina's screams but other than them occasionally getting touched, the cart plan seemed to be working. Some how, this stranger running in front of her had saved not only Jake, but her and Katrina too. Suddenly these brief happy thoughts in Elizabeth's mind were erased when the cart tipped over sideways spilling Katrina, Jake and the shotgun to the tile right in front of the doors by one of the many checkout lanes.

Immediately the zombies swarmed the individuals biting, spitting, and clawing at them. Elizabeth managed to shove one off and escape another by running down a check out lane but by turning around she could easily see the others weren't so fortunate.

Katrina was crawling desperately across the tile clutching wailing Jake to her chest while zombies consistently tore at her clothing trying to get a good grip. Behind her still standing was Matt, who was swinging his fists and yelling curses as zombies slowly began biting into his muscular body.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in terror and she backed up to the wall watching the horrid scene unfold. _Did she help Katrina or Matt? Katrina was so much younger and with the infant! But Matt had saved them, what did she do!_

Finally she got an answer, but not from herself, "Help the damn girl, I'll be fine-Ahh fuck!" Matt's voice was forced and strained; it was only a matter of time before the zombies fully overpowered the man and devoured him like so many before.

Hesitantly Elizabeth moved towards Katrina who was now at the door trying to kick two female zombies away that were attempting to bite her. They hissed again and again snapping theirs jaws like sharks until finally Elizabeth fiercely kicked one sending it sprawling on its back.

The second one hissed viciously at her and got up to charge her but was tripped by Katrina. Instead of charging it fell face first with a pitiful moan allowing Elizabeth to begin stomping on its head. "Get up Katrina, and run, just run!" Elizabeth had never sweated so much as she followed the badly scratched up teen out of the store.

She stopped just outside by the badly destroyed truck to turn and stare through the broken glass doors as Matt slowly sunk to the ground yelling underneath a swarm of pale, bloody, bodies. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth over here! It's Colee!"

Elizabeth spun around so fast that her sweaty brown hair slapped her face. Sure enough the white van pulled into the parking lot and she could make out Colee's curly black hair through the wind shield. She immediately flung the door open and stepped out running with the shotgun, "Katrina get in the van!" Colee screamed before sprinting to Elizabeth.

"Anyone else stuck in there?" Colee demanded making Elizabeth nod miserably and point.

"Theirs a man, he just saved me and Katrina and I don't if he's going to make it. But we have to try and rescue him, come on!" Together the two sprinted back towards the doors while a petrified Katrina watched from the van.

In a matter of seconds the two women were bursting back into the store getting glares from bloodshot eyes and bloody faces. Colee lifted the black shotgun up and placed it into her shoulder hesitantly just as the first few zombies ran at them. With a startled gasp she pulled the trigger instantly causing her to stumble back a few steps as two zombies lost their arms in splashes of gore and dropped.

"Ow, shit, I might have broken it," Colee hunched over holding her shoulder with her eyes squeezed shut, "better than being eaten… here take it!"

Elizabeth awkwardly accepted the gun as more and more zombies turned their attention to the girls and began to charge them. Copying Colee, Elizabeth did the same, blasting away three zombies with well a placed shot to their torsos. "Nice!" Colee exclaimed from behind her, her voice still tinged with pain.

_She's so brave, and such a good mother role for Katrina… how does she do this? _Colee couldn't believe as the common everyday news reporter wasted another two zombies splattering even more blood across the tile. _She can't die… _Colee turned her head and saw a bag of groceries sitting on the checkout counter. She hobbled towards it just as another bang signaled a fourth shot of the semi automatic shotgun in the reporter's hands.

"Colee! I'm out!" Elizabeth screamed just as the final fifteen or so zombies began to moan towards her.

Colee watched her as she backed against the door now holding the shotgun like a club. "Colee!" Still she watched Elizabeth as complete panic began to overcome her features and the first zombie began to approach her.

Suddenly Colee made a decision, "ELIZABETH, RUN! JUST RUN! LEAVE IT TO ME!" In utter confusion Elizabeth turned, batted the first zombies in the head and turned back to Colee puzzled. "GET OUT OF HERE ELIZABETH! KATRINA NEEDS YOU!"

Elizabeth stared at her for what felt like forever, and then with a pitiful motion threw the shotgun down and ran out the doors. What Colee couldn't see were the tears pouring down her face, all Colee could tell was that she got out and now the zombies turned to her moaning with anger.

"Want some! Come and get it!" she yelled before turning and sprinting along the checkout lanes. The zombies followed screeching and moaning louder than ever. It didn't take Colee long to reach the end and just as she passed a corpse, it came to life snagging her ankle as she tried to round the last checkout lane.

She fell hitting the ground hard and the newly spawned zombie bit into her ankle hard ripping flesh from her ankle. She screamed in agony and watched as the other cannibalistic creatures approached… _This is the end for me… _

**XVX**

Elizabeth drove calmly, her face still soaked with sweat and tears from the events inside the store. Katrina sat shotgun next to her, her black hair down again. Jake was resting on her lap sleeping soundly, but it was only a matter of time before he would require feeding.

_Everything had just happened so fast. Meeting Colee, getting the tent in the back of the van, finding Jake with the man in the store, and now, escaping the store without Colee… _

Suddenly the news reporter stepped on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the road. She gasped loudly and her eyes widened as she stared through the windshield at one of the street lights illuminating the street.

Katrina looked at her uncertainly. "Elizabeth, what is it?"

The reporter turned to her slowly, fighting to prevent her face from breaking into sobs. "We left her," she said softly, "we left Colee to die…"

Katrina stared at the reporter blankly with wide blue eyes. Then a flash of hope appeared on Elizabeth's face, "Unless… unless… maybe some how she survived! Maybe they both did!" For a second Elizabeth looked as if she could fly, but Katrina quickly shot down her ideas with fact.

"Um, Elizabeth, we saw the guy go down. Remember, you picked to save me and Jake over him… Theirs no way he'll make it and um, Colee, is defenseless, unless she escapes to one of the fire exits, chances are… slim, for survival." For one so young, Katrina's words were cold and filled with truth and rational sense. Each one stabbed at Elizabeth's heart hurting her inside even worse than before…

"Everyone that we once knew in this world is gone… or at least walking around craving flesh. It's the truth Liz, and the sooner we accept it, the better off we'll be." Katrina's words of wisdom and the use of Elizabeth's pet name made Elizabeth turn to her with a new found respect.

"You're right," Elizabeth's blue eyes swept over Jake's fragile form as Katrina's were fixated on him, "So we need to hold on to those close to us and start over…"

Katrina looked up just as Elizabeth leaned across the center of the van to hug her. She returned the hug affectionately and both girls gazed down at Jake who still slept soundly. Then Elizabeth caught sight of something just out the windshield and looked up still embracing the teen, a smile crossed her lips and she raised her arm to point.

"Katrina, look, snow…"

Katrina lifted her head and gazed out the windshield just in time to see the smaller flakes begin to turn into large white ones. Soon it was beginning to blanket the ground in sparkles of frost and both girls watched intently.

"It's like you said Liz," Katrina whispered getting the reporter's attention, "We have to hold on to those close to us, and start over, just like the changing of a season…" _Elizabeth smirked and together, both girls sat in the van in the pitch black of night, watching the snow fall for the first time of the year… _

**Riddick Writer: **Okay… so I know this being the final chapter for the story is unexpected, but due to a recent surge of upcoming business that I have to attend to, I'll be unable to continue writing for awhile. A month at the longest but still, I hate to keep readers waiting, I prefer to try and update weekly… obviously that didn't happen with this story. As for OC submitters! All characters introduced or not introduced in the story, will be in the sequel of course! OCs that never got introduced in this one will be my top priority for the first few chapters of the sequel. Hope you guys liked the story and please, please, please leave a review on final thoughts! :P

**Oh and don't forget to go on my profile and do the poll to pick the sequel's title! **


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